The Maelstrom Hunter
by CrimsonKyuubiSage
Summary: All I did was follow orders. And what do I get in return for following my orders? Banishment. Exiled from my home. My career, finished. My dream, crushed. My life, could be better. But here I am now. Free of any burden in Konoha. The council want me to return home now. Truth is, Konoha's no longer my home, Vale is. And I'm not leaving without a fight. Rated T for mild language.
1. Chapter 1- Banishment

**Author's Notes**

** Yo, what up all you fanfic readers, I'm CrimsonKyuubiSage. This is my first fanfic so most ****criticism is appreciated and I hope you enjoy this story. I came up with the idea whilst listening to ****Nightcore and watching RWBY. I have no clue what the pairing for Naruto will be, but there will ****definitely be Lee/Nora and Juane/Pyrrha. Leave a review on the story to decide on the pairing for ****Naruto. And depending on how many requests for a certain pairing are put up in the next week, or ****whether or not I find a pairing both unique and to my liking, will the pairing for Naruto be decided.**

**Also, the pairing will ****not**** be yaoi. I hold no prejudice against homosexuality, but I'm more neutral ****on the stance of it.**

**Here are a few of the options I put up for the pairing for Naruto. Remember, that even though ****these are some of the options, it is not limited to just these choices. If any of the readers out there ****can think of a different pairing I'm all ears.**

**Naru/Harem**

**Naru/Ruby**

**Naru/Weiss**

**Naru/Blake**

**Naru/Yang**

**Naru/?**

**Oh and I probably need a disclaimer: **

**I do not own RWBY or Naruto, Kishimoto owns Naruto. If I did, Naruto and Hinata would be together.**

* * *

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter 1- Banishment

-Somewhere in the Oki no Okunote, Sunday, 3:26 A.M.-

Everything felt calm. So peaceful. Like the events that conspired beforehand never happened...

But that wasn't the case at all. No. Nothing was calm. And nothing was peaceful. Twelve years. For twelve years he labored in that hellhole. All the years of physical and mental abuse. Hoping that one day that it would all be worth it in the end, gaining their respect.

Not in this case. No, the chances of that happening were slim to none now. Now that what's done is done...

Somehow I always knew that this day was to come.

I stood at a good 5' 11, somewhat tall if I say so myself. Slightly tanned skin with golden blonde spiky hair. Three whisker-like scars on each of my cheeks and violet eyes...

Oh, and did I mention that I also have a pair of fox ears and a tail. Both are crimson red with black tips. Looks awesome on me. At least, in my eyes.

The civilians of Konoha seem to think that I'm the Kyuubi in disguise but last time I checked, I'm not a fifty-foot tall fox with orange fur and rabbit ears bent on destruction.

Who am I? Well, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto to be specific. I'm Konoha's Orange Hokage. Well... the Konoha part isn't exactly true now. On the night of my birth a great beast known as the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked my home village. But the Yondaime Hokage was said to have killed the fox...

That's a lie. I found out on the night of my Genin exams that the Kyuubi had been sealed into a baby that day. And that baby just happened to be me.

You see, where I come from people like me with demons sealed inside them are called Jinchūriki. People like me are known for being treated like a plague to society, which is why most people aren't told who we are. Though there are some of us who have giant targets painted on us.

And this week was not my week. In fact, this week would probably go down as the most horrid week of my life.

_Flashback Start_

_-Konoha Hospital, Monday, 10:37 A.M.-_

_ I don't know how long I was out. All I remember before I blacked out was the fight me and __Sasuke-teme had at the Valley of the End, and Kakashi-sensei arriving._

_ My eyes fluttered open just to have my vision filled with white. A steady beeping sound was __heard to my left. Probably a heart monitor I was hooked up to..._

_ My body felt painful and sore as a whole._

_ Granted, that is what I should be feeling. After all, I just got a fist of lightning shoved through __my chest not even a few hours ago. And by Uchiha Sasuke, my so-called brother in all but __blood. It hurt, sure, but not as much as the feeling of betrayal I felt then. But after thinking __about it. I don't think he's worth being called my brother._

_ Kakashi-sensei once told me "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, that's __true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.", well, in that case, __Sasuke-teme is worse than trash for what he did to me._

_ I kept my promise to Sakura-chan and brought back her 'precious Sasuke-kun' for her. And __what do I get from her? A punch to the head and a berating, from injuring her 'Sasuke-kun'. __Who, by the way, had only bruises and some other minor injuries. __Whilst I had a freaking gaping hole in my chest where Sasuke had thrust a Chidori through me._

_ I was bleeding profusely, yet the doctors were more focused on 'saving the precious last loyal __Uchiha'. Tsunade-baachan had to heal me personally because all of the other doctors refused to __heal the 'demon brat'. And the few that were kind to me were out or helping someone else._

_ "Looks like you're awake gaki,"_

_ I turn my head to see Jiraiya in the window. He seemed to have something on his mind, but at the __same time sounded sad._

_ "Hey, Ero-Sennin," I replied._

_ "How're ya feeling?"_

_ "Pretty well, considering what's happened,"_

_ There was a small awkward silence after that. And after a full minute, Ero-Sennin talked once more._

_ "Gaki, there's something Tsunade-hime and I need to tell you, but she thought it would be better if you __heard it from me," he said sadly._

_ "What's so important?" I asked. Curiosity getting the better of me._

_ Again, there was this small pause filled with silence._

_ "The Council heard of your fight with the Uchiha. Specifically your use of the Kyuubi's chakra," __He paused for a second. As if to find the right words to use to tell me the rest of the story. __"Gaki, there's no good way of saying this, so I'll just come out and say it. The Council has __banished you from Konoha,"_

_..._

_ I let the new sink in. It felt so saddening..._

_ My dream of becoming Hokage. Gone. __Crushed by a bunch of old stooges who are stuck in the past._

_ Yet, at the same time, it felt relieving..._

_ "They're giving you three days to pack up your stuff and leave in exile," __I just stared at the wall for a few minutes. Three days to leave the village I grew up in..._

_ Three days to leave the village I had sworn to protect._

_ "... I'm sorry gaki," I hear Jiraiya say to me._

_ "... I know..."_

_-Konoha Red Light District, Wednesday, 2:15 P.M.-_

_After I was released from the hospital, I went back to my cruddy apartment. __I lived in Konoha's Red Light District, which was the slums of Konoha. The area that was_

_ mostly destroyed from the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha._

_ It may not have been the best place, but it was sentimental to me. The Sandaime-jiji gave __this apartment to me on my sixth birthday, after he had found out that the orphanage __I was supposed to be staying in kicked me out._

_ Over the past two days, my friends came to say goodbye to me in their own ways..._

_ Team Guy came over to say their goodbyes to me, after hearing that I was to be banished. __Lee and Guy spent about an hour wailing on how my 'flames of youth had been dampened by __the council'. I assured them that my flames of youth would still burn on. __Tenten was saddened that I would be leaving, but not to the extent of the others. Granted, we weren't __really close friends. But still, she said that she would miss my charisma. __Neji had reverted back to his old self. Spouting on about fate and all that crap. I told him to snap out __of it or I'd beat the crap out of him again..._

_ Needless to stay, he was alright after that._

_ A bit after Team Guy left, the Konohamaru Army Corps showed up._

_ Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi were each crying. Saying they would miss their boss. __I told them to never give up. And they said they would give it their all._

_ Soon they left. And Team Kurenai showed up after them._

_ Kiba, while saddened still had some cheerfulness to himself. Wishing me luck outside of Konoha. __Even Akamaru was sad._

_ Shino, whilst still remaining stoic, had a bit of sadness to his voice when he said goodbye to me._

_ Hinata though, was a different story._

_ Hinata was practically crying her eyes out. Confessing her crush on me ever since I helped her from __those bullies all those years ago. __I gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her that I would love her, but I wouldn't be able to return __those feelings. Telling her to give Kiba a chance._

_ Kakashi visited after Team Kurenai left..._

_ "So this is it," Kakashi said._

_ "I guess so," I replied._

_ There we stood, embracing the silence that permeated the air. Until finally, Kakashi spoke once more. __Handing me a scroll twice the size of my hand._

_ "Huh? What's this?" I asked._

_ "Naruto, in that scroll is something that you should have been given when you became a Genin, but weren't __given," he replied._

_ "But still, what is it?" I asked again._

_ "In this scroll there are a few jutsus ranging from D-rank to S-rank. It's a scroll that was made for you by __your parents,"_

_ I looked up at Kakashi. Shocked at the words that he said..._

_ My parents. Sandaime-jiji told me that they died on the night I was born. When the Kyuubi attacked._

_ "I can't say who you're parents are, but know that they loved you to their dying breaths," __I began tearing up at that. I had feared that my parents were still alive, but didn't want me because I had __a demon sealed in my gut._

_..._

_ Again, silence filled the air for a half hour. Kakashi got up and headed towards the door. On his way out, __he turned his head to speak to me one more time._

_ "Goodbye, Naruto. Hopefully where ever you go, you'll find happiness,"_

_ And with that, he was gone._

_ It was about an hour or so before the door opened again. Only this time in the doorway was Ero-Sennin, __Tsunade-baachan, and Shizune-neechan._

_ Before I could say anything, I was enveloped in a hug by Tsunade and Shizune. Both iryo nin were sobbing..._

_ And before I knew it, so was I._

_ After a half hour, both Tsunade and Shizune had stopped crying uncontrollably, as did I._

_ From Shizune-neechan, I got a scroll filled with medical supplies that would come in handy. I thanked her __for the supplies._

_ I got a scroll with a strange red spiral on it from Tsunade-baachan._

_ "This is a scroll on the Uzumaki clan. Filled with their techniques before the destruction of Uzushiogakure __during the Third Shinobi War,"_

_ Jiraiya stepped forward next. Handing me a large scroll similar to the one that he carried around on his back._

_ "In here's a storage scroll filled with a thousand kunai and shuriken, five-hundred explosive tags, a instructions __for a few jutsus that range from C-rank to A-rank, and a copy of my Icha Icha series," Jiraiya finished sporting __a small grin on his face at the mention of that last part..._

_ Said grin, however, was soon wiped from his face. Courtesy of a slightly chakra-enhanced punch from Tsunade._

_ "I'm really gonna miss you, brat," Tsunade said._

_ "I will too, Tsunade-kaachan," I said tearing up._

_ At the mention of kaachan, Tsunade enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. Openly crying at the statement._

_ "I'm also gonna miss you too, neechan," I said to Shizune._

_ Shizune joined in on the hug, also on the verge of crying again._

_ "Don't forget about me, gaki," I hear Jiraiya say._

_ "I'll miss you too, Ero-Sennin,"_

_ Soon enough, the trio had left. And now I was alone..._

_..._

_ A few hours had passed now. The sun had set about two hours or so ago..._

_ So this was it. The last day in Konoha._

_ I stood up. I had decided that I would leave in the cover of night._

_ I didn't want to give those civilians the chance to jeer at me on my way out. No, I wouldn't give them the satisfaction_

_ of seeing me off. __So, I gathered up what little I had, and the storage scroll, now filled with the items I had received from my friends,_

_ and I left._

_-Outskirts of Detarame no Sato, Thursday, 6:41 A.M.-_

_ I've been running for about eight hours now. I began to run low on chakra... __And I have a LOT of chakra, so that would take a while to run low._

_ I must have covered at least two-thirds of Fire Country by now. My destination, Wave Country. __From there, I could go to Uzushiogakure. It may be just ruins, but I still want to see where my __clan lived._

_ I could go there, hide out there for a bit, and also say hi to Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari. __But for now, I would rest for an hour once I got to this village._

_ Once I entered the village, I reached to my forehead to remove my headband. Only to find it not there..._

_ And then I remembered that I had it taken from me when I left the hospital._

_ With a sigh, I entered a small shop which I guessed was a bookstore. If the giant book symbol outside was anything __to go by._

_ It was still a bit early in the morning, so there was only a few people and the store owner. So o__ut of boredom, I began browsing the books, w__hich was something I couldn't do much of when I lived in Konoha._

_ Last time I had a book in my hands, some random civilian tried to set fire to my hands. Saying that demons shouldn't __learn to read and become smart..._

_ So around now, being able to grab a book and NOT have my hands set on fire was nice._

_..._

_ I was so caught up in my thoughts of the past and Konoha that I didn't notice the book I had grabbed._

_ Shaking myself out of my musings, I noticed a book I had grabbed, it was dusty, but I was still able to make out the name._

_"The** Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi**_

_ By Jiraiya the Gama Sennin"_

_ I blinked in surprise at the author of the book..._

_ Jiraiya had written a book that wasn't smut. That was a shocker. __I went up to the cashier and placed the book on the counter._

_ "How much for this one?" I asked._

_ The cashier was an old looking man. __His hair was a light gray and balding. He had wrinkles below his eyes indicating he hadn't had much sleep or was an_

_ insomniac. __He looked up at me, and then to the book I had selected._

_ "This one?" he asked._

_ I nodded my head. And for a few seconds, he remained quiet. But then he started to lightly chuckle. After a minute of __chuckling, he talked once more._

_ "Boy, not one person has touched that book ever since I got it into this store. You can have it for free,"__ I was surprised at his response. I kept looking back and forth between him and the book._

_ "... For free?"_

_ He just nodded his head._

_ "For real?"_

_ "Yep,"_

_ "Thank you so much, sir," I said._

_ "Think nothing of it. I'm just happy that someone your age would actually read that book,"_

_ After thanking the kind store owner, I left to rest under one of the trees nearby. I still haven't recovered enough __chakra to continue._

_..._

_ An idea popped into my head. And I began to meditate underneath the tree. Soon enough, my surroundings __shifted from a forest to my mindscape._

_-Naruto's Mindscape-_

_ I had only been in here a couple of times. And usually I didn't have time to pay attention to the scenery. Now I was able __to._

_ It looked sorta like a large sewer. Reddish-brown bricks covered the walls and ceiling, tannish-gray smooth stone covered __the floor. There was about an inch on water that coated the floor, but I didn't mind (Pun Not Intended). There were pipes __along the walls, those were slightly leaking..._

_ All-in-all, my mindscape looked like crap._

_ There was four ways I could go, not knowing which one would lead me to my destination. It was like I knew this place like __the back of my hand. My legs moved on their own, taking me to where I wanted to go. And e__ventually, I arrived at my destination._

_..._

_ Unlike the rest of the sewer-mindscape, this room was quite larger compared to the others. The water was at least knee deep, __but I was water-walking. In this room, there were large red iron bars that were at least two feet in length, and touched from __floor to ceiling. In the center, there was a large paper with the kanji for 'seal' written on it._

_ A pair of large eyes opened to stare at me. I stared right back. These eyes were filled with anger. Crimson red, like blood, and __were slitted like an animals'..._

_ I was staring directly back at my inner demon._

_ The fox that attacked my home twelve years ago. The same fox that I've had save my life countless times._

_ This was the Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-Tailed Fox._

_ "Oi, furball!" I exclaimed._

_ I heard what was most likely a grunt or groan._

_ "__**What do you want, brat**__," I heard._

_ "I just want to talk," __A roar of laughter was heard from behind the bars of the cage._

_ "__**You and me, talk? How about you take that seal off this cage and free me, and THEN, we'll talk**__,"_

_ "You and I both know that would just kill me,"_

_ "__**Oh, so you do have a brain in there**__,"_

_ I felt a tick-mark appear on my forehead from that remark._

_ "I'm serious, though. I want to talk,"_

_..._

_ After what felt like an hour or so, I heard a huff of annoyance come from the cage._

_ "__**Fine then brat, what would you like to talk about**__," it asked. __I sat down on top of the water, relaxing a bit more compared to before._

_ "Well, I just realized, that I don't know that much about you, so I'd like to get to know you better," __I heard a stifled laugh come from the cage. __"I'm serious, you oversized furball, 'dattebayo!"_

_ "__**Why would you, a mere human, want to know more about me**__,"_

_ "Well, you've been with me my whole life, yet I don't even know your name,"_

_ "__**Hm? And what makes you think that Kyuubi isn't my real name?**__"_

_ "Well, Kyuubi seems more over like a title than a name," __I heard another huff of annoyance come from the cage._

_ "__**You are not worthy of hearing my true name, brat**__," __That got me a bit angry, so I reverted back to my old self for a bit._

_ "Listen here and listen good! Furball! One day I'll learn your real name! That's a promise of a lifetime, __'dattebayo!" I exclaimed._

_..._

_ There was an uncanny silence after my statement, and I was worried for a bit. Then I heard a small chuckle, __that chuckle soon turned into full-blown laughter. Then it spoke again._

_ "__**Hm, you remind me of a certain redheaded woman that was just as stubborn, if not more stubborn, **__**than you are, brat**__,"_

_ I froze at that, a woman that was just like I was._

_ "Who?" I asked. __If I could see through the darkness that shrouded the cage, I swear I would see a grinning fox._

_ "__**Wouldn't you like to know**__," it said, amused._

_ "Please," I begged, "I need to know if this redheaded woman is still alive,"_

_ "__**No, she's dead**__," it said._

_ "...Was she related to me in any way?"_

_ "__**... Yes**__," it replied, "__**she was your mother, Uzumaki Kushina. My second jailer**__,"_

_ I was shocked. I wasn't the first Jinch__ūrik__i to the Kyuubi?_

_ "__**No, you weren't my first jailer**__," it said._

_ How did it read my mind? ... Oh wait, we're inside my mind right now._

_ "__**Finally, the brat figures it out**__,"_

_ "Shut up, furball,"_

_ "__**Make me, brat**__,"_

_ "... So my mother was your jailer before me?"_

_ "__**Yes**__,"_

_ "And before her, who was your jailer?"_

_ "__**You ask a lot of questions, for a brat**__,"_

_ "That doesn't answer my question,"_

_ "__**I know**__,"_

_ "Humph. Can you at least tell me who my father was,"_

_ "__**Why ask a question you already know the answer to. After all, he's the bastard who sealed **__**me in you**__,"_

_ Wait, my father sealed the Kyuubi inside me. But then that would mean..._

_ "__**Hm, so you figured it out**__,"_

_ It couldn't be him. Could it? I mean, it does make sense considering that there was only one person I __knew that sealed the Kyuubi into me._

_ "My father was the Yondaime Hokage," I said. Not believing the words that came out of my mouth..._

_ It all makes sense now. I've seen pictures of the Yondaime before, but put if off as convenience that we __looked similar._

_ "__**Yes, Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, is your father. And Uzumaki Kushina is your mother**__,"_

_..._

_ I sat there, letting it sink in. The man who sealed away the Kyuubi into me, is also my father._

_ "__**Well, now that you know who your parents are, what will you do now?**__" __I stayed silent at that._

_ What was I doing? Where would I go?_

_ "__**I know of a place where you can go**__," __I thought about it for a second. I have nowhere to go. But can I really trust the Kyuubi?_

_ "How can I be sure I can trust you? I mean, for all I know, this could just be one of your ploys to escape," __I exclaimed._

_ "__**Hm, it may be. But then again, it may not be. The real question is, are you willing to take that chance**__,"_

_... Okay, now I have no doubts that if I could see the Kyuubi's full face right now, I'd be looking at a grinning __fox. __I thought about the furball's statement. Could I really take that chance that this isn't one of the furball's attempt __to escape?_

_ "Okay, Kyuubi. What's your deal?" I respond._

_ "__**Oh Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. What makes you think that I would get something out of giving you information?**__" __it asked in almost an innocent voice._

_ "..." I gave the great bijuu a deadpanned look._

_ "__**... Fine, if I tell you where this place is, I get to share your senses**__,"_

_ "What?"_

_ "__**Hm, I forgot I was talking to an idiot here**__,"_

_ "Hey! I resent that, 'dattebayo!"_

_ "__**If I tell you of this place, I get to share your senses. You know, eyesight, hearing, touch, smell, pain-**__"_

_ "Wait, doesn't that mean we would merge minds or some-"_

_ "__**SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH SPEAKING!**__" __I shut my mouth after that. The Kyuubi may be caged, but it still can be damn scary when it wants to._

_ "__**No, our minds won't merge. We will just share the five senses**__,"_

_ "Is that it?" I asked._

_ "__**Basically, yes**__,"_

_ "... Well okay then, deal,"_

_ "__**Alright then. The process will begin in a few days or so**__,"_

_ "So what's this place you speak of?"_

_ "__**Hm? Oh yes, there is a place I know of passed the Oki no Okunote**__,"_

_ For what felt like the tenth time this week, I froze in surprise._

_ The Oki no Okunote was an area passed the Land of Water that led to the unknown. Hence, the Okunote __in the name._

_ "But what would be out so far that it's not on the map?" I asked._

_ "__**There is a land known as Remnant. Those lands are far more advanced in technology compared to the **__**Elemental Nations**__,"_

_ "So how would I get there?"_

_ "__**Hm, just get a boat from that place you saved. The Land of Waves I believe it was called**__,"_

_ "Alrighty then,"_

_ I felt myself being pulled from my mindscape as I awoke from my meditation..._

_ Before I left, I said one last thing to the Kyuubi._

_ "Oh, and Kyuubi," __I could see the towering red eyes of the Kyuubi looking down upon me. __"Thank you," I said as I left my mindscape._

_-Reality, Under a Tree Near Detarame no Sato, Thursday, 7:54 A.M.-_

_ I awoke from my meditation. Exiting my mindscape after having that conversation with the Kyuubi. __I noticed only an hour had passed, but it had felt like it had been longer in my mindscape..._

_ Meh, must be a mindscape thing._

_ "Well," I said, to no one in particular, "I have a target destination now,"_

_ Off to the Land of Waves. Coincidentally I was headed there anyways. So it's a win-win situation._

_ I felt my chakra coils rejuvenated, so I decided now would be a good time to head out._

_-Wave Country, Friday, 6:36 P.M.-_

_ Wave Country. It feels like yesterday that me and the rest of Team 7 came here. Hired by a grumpy old __man who could barely stay sober..._

_ The last time I was here, the town looked like a slum. Now, it looked like a real town bustling with business._

_ I walked around, knowing my way towards Tazuna's home. And there it was..._

_ Ah the memories. I felt like I was old there for a second. Reminiscing on the past..._

_ All that was before I was banished._

_ But I can't spend my days toiling in the past, or else I'd turn out like Kakashi-sensei._

_ I approached the house and knocked on the door._

_ "I'm coming, just wait a moment," I hear a voice call out from inside the house. __The door opens, and there stood Tsunami. She looked surprised to see me here. I would be too, if I were her._

_ "Hey Tsunami-san! It's good to see you," I exclaim._

_ "Naruto! It's good to see you too. Come on inside," she says._

_ As I walk inside I notice that the house has changed on the inside. Tsunami must have noticed me looking at __the changes and answered my silent question._

_ "Ever since the bridge was built, and Gato gone, the town has been thriving. We were able to afford a bit of __luxury here and there," she stated._

_ "Hey mom! Who was that at the door?" I hear a voice yell from upstairs._

_ "Come down and see for yourself. I guarantee you'll be surprised," Tsunami yells back. __Soon enough the boy comes down the stairs and notices me. I wave at him._

_ "Yo Inari! It's been a while,"_

_ "Naruto-neesan! It's great to see you," Inari exclaims._

_ "It's great to see you too,"_

_ We settled down in the living room where Tsunami brought us some tea._

_ "So where's Tazuna-jiji?" I asked, after receiving a cup of tea from Tsunami._

_ "Oh, tou-san is out drinking with a few of his friends. He should be back soon," Tsunami replied._

_ "So what brings you here nee-san?" I hear Inari ask._

_ "Well, I'm taking some time off from doing Shinobi business," I lied, "sort of like a vacation of sorts,"_

_ "Oh, that's nice," Tsunami says._

_ A few minutes later, I hear the door open. And in comes Tazuna. Stumbling around a bit like __a drunkard._

_ "I'm back," I hear Tazuna say from the doorway._

_ "Hey, tou-san! We have a visitor,"_

_ "Well, who is it?" he asked. __He then walked into the living room, I waved at him and give him an eye smile._

_ "Yo, Tazuna-jiji. It's been a while," I say. __Tazuna smiles and waves back._

_ "It certainly has been gaki," he replies._

_ After that, we spent a few hours catching up. Both on my adventures and how the town was doing __after Team 7 left..._

_ Apparently, ever since we took down Gato and the bridge was built, the town has been thriving. __Becoming a large port town with a stable economy._

_ I told the stories of my adventures. What happened during the Chunin Exams, the Invasion of __Konoha, searching for Tsunade to be the Godaime Hokage, the events of the Land of Tea..._

_ I even told them about Sasuke's attempt at defection. Minus the part where I was banished from __Konoha._

_ Tsunami and Inari enjoyed hearing about my adventures, but Tazuna, I could tell, knew I was __holding back some information._

_..._

_ After trading stories, Inari and Tsunami went to sleep from exhaustion._

_ So here I was, alone with Tazuna-jiji. We didn't speak for a few minutes. Until he spoke up._

_ "... You didn't tell us the whole story, I could tell that much," he said._

_ "What gave it away?" I asked._

_ "I'm old, not senile,"_

_ "Humph, could've fooled me,"_

_ "Watch it, gaki,"_

_ "Humph," I reply._

_ "... So what's really going on?" he asks._

_ "... I've been banished from Konoha," I said after a small pause._

_ "Why didn't you tell Tsunami or Inari?"_

_ "Because, even though I've been banished. I don't want to be a burden on anyone," I reply sadly. __Tazuna's expression saddened. __"Besides," I start saying, "there's a place that I want to go to, to escape,"_

_ "Escape what?" he asks._

_ "Konoha's bound to try to capture me at some point," I said, "even when they've banished me, they'll __probably want to keep a close eye on their 'weapon'," __Tazuna silently 'ah's at that. __"I want to go and see Uzushiogakure,"_

_ "But weren't they destroyed in the Third Shinobi War?" he asks._

_ "They were," I replied, "but I want to go see if there's anything my clan left behind,"_

_ "But where will you go from there?"_

_ "Well, according to the furball," I started saying, tapping where the seal was, "there's a place beyond __the Oki no Okunote that I can go to,"_

_..._

_ To say Tazuna was surprised was like saying that Jiraiya was only a closet pervert._

_ "Beyond the Oki no Okunote," he says in disbelief._

_ "Yep,"_

_ "And you believe it?" he asks, looking at me like I had grown a second head._

_ "It's not like I have any other options," I stated, "if I stay here or at Uzushiogakure, Konoha will eventually __find me. Heck, I'd be surprised if the council HASN'T put me in the bingo book yet," __I stand up, making my way to the door. __"It was nice to see you and Tsunami and Inari again. Tell them I said goodbye,"_

_ "I will. And gaki," he says. __I turn my head to look at him from the doorway. __"Goodbye, and good luck,"_

_ I smile at that and exit the house._

_..._

_ I walk toward the town once more, and after half an hour, I realize something..._

_ "Wait, where am I gonna get a boat?" I ask to nobody in particular._

_-Port #17, Wave Country, Saturday, 3:21 A.M.-_

_ I went back to Tazuna's house after that. And sheepishly asked him if he knew where I __could get a boat..._

_ After face faulting at my question, he gave me an address where I could get one from __a friend of his that owed him one._

_ "Tell him Tazuna sent you," he said._

_ It took an hour or so to find the address he gave me, but I eventually found the place. __The place looked weathered and worn out. A fog was present. Not surprising considering __what time it was._

_ Sitting on top of a few old crates was an old looking man. He was wearing a worn-out __yellow fisherman's coat and hat. He had a scraggly greying beard and a pair of slightly __bushy eyebrows to match his grey beard._

_ He looked up slightly at me and spoke in a coarse voice._

_ "What do ya want lad?" he asked me._

_ "Are you Arashi?"_

_ "That depends on who's asking,"_

_ "Tazuna sent me, he told me to tell you, 'I'm cashing in my favor you owe me, get this gaki __a boat and you'll owe me no longer'," I said, "also, he said something about telling you __that guy's night is on Tuesday at seven,"_

_ I heard a small laugh come from him._

_ "Yep, that sounds like Tazuna," he states amusingly, "so ya need a boat eh? Well, Ol' Arashi __here can help ya with that," __He nudged his head in a direction, probably telling me to follow him._

_ We walked to the end of the dock, there in the water was a boat big enough for two or three __people. It looked to be about nine meters in length, the sail about ten meters._

_ "This here," I heard Arashi start saying, "is an 18 foot Skiff. I call her, Teikanshi Ken,"_

_ "Is it good for travel?" I asked._

_ "Aye,"_

_ "Well, thanks for the ship," I said._

_ "Just one thing lad," he says._

_ "What?" I ask._

_ "Why would a young lad such as yourself need a sailing vessel?"_

_ "I'm headed out to the ruins of Uzushiogakure," I said, "and then passed the Oki no Okunote,"_

_ "Well then," he says, acting casually, "good luck lad,"_

_ And with that, I was given enough supplies to last me a few weeks, and I set sail towards Uzushiogakure._

_-Shores of the Ruins of Uzushiogakure, Saturday, 11:47 A.M.-_

_ Using the directions that the Kyuubi begrudgingly gave me, I was able to navigate the skiff to the shores of __Uzushiogakure. __I left the ship anchored to the shores of the land, and traversed the shoreline, searching for any signs of the __ruins left behind..._

_ After searching for an hour, I came across the ruins of what I believe used to be the walls of Uzushiogakure._

_ Unfortunately, when I tried to get closer to the wall, a barrier popped up._

_ I had no clue what the barriers were, until the Kyuubi explained it to me._

_ "__**Brat, those are one of the defense barriers that used to be in Uzushiogakure. It can only be deactivated by **__**the blood of an Uzumaki**__," Kyuubi explained to me._

_ "Oh, wait. How can I hear your voice if I'm not inside my mindscape?" I exclaim._

_ "__**First of all, shut up brat you can just talk to me by thinking. Otherwise people will make you out to be **__**insane**__,"_

_ 'Okay then, explain please,'_

_ "__**Well, this is part of the deal we made. Starting with the ability to communicate telepathically**__,"_

_ '...What?'_

_ Even though I was in the outside world, and not in my mindscape, I could hear a groan of annoyance __come from the caged bijuu._

_ "__**We'll be able to talk using our minds, brat**__,"_

_ 'So what do I do to deactivate the barrier?'_

_ "__**Just smear some blood on the barrier, and it should deactivate**__," __And so I did what the Kyuubi told me, and just like he said, the barrier deactivated..._

_ Blinking in surprise, I ventured onward towards the heart of the once great village._

_..._

_ I kept on moving until I came across a large building. It was the most intact building compared to the ones __surrounding it, and reminded me of the Hokage Tower back in Konoha. __Something told me that this was probably the building where the kage was, so I went towards it._

_ Walking inside the building, I noticed the similarity between this building and the Hokage Tower... __Definitely __the kage's tower._

_ I went up the stairs and used my memory of the Hokage tower to guide me through this place. The uncanny __resemblance to the Hokage Tower whisked away any doubt I had on whether or not this was the kage tower._

_ I reached the kage's main room, and I had an idea. Considering the similarities between the two buildings, __I reached underneath the kage's desk and felt around until I felt a small bump._

_ Smiling, I pushed down on the bump until I heard a click behind me. __I turned around to see a small compartment open up and reveal a scroll similar to the one I had been tricked __to steal so long ago by Mizuki-teme..._

_ I had just found Uzushio's version of the Scroll of Seals._

_ I also noticed that unlike the compartment that the Scroll of Seals I had seen before was in, this one had an __extra scroll in the compartment._

_ Putting the larger scroll aside, I inspected the other scroll and found that it had a blood seal on it. Just like __the barrier outside had._

_ I bit down on my thumb, enough to draw blood, and smeared it on the scroll while also channeling chakra __into the scroll..._

_ Suddenly, smoke appeared and I heard a 'poof' sound similar to when I use Kage Bunshin no Jutsu._

_..._

_ When the smoke dissipated, I was able to see a tall figure standing in front of me._

_ The figure stood at approximately 6'1, and was wearing samurai-like armor. __Taking a closer look, I noticed the figure had long, straight red hair, and a fu manchu mustache-beard combo..._

_ "Who the heck are you?" I exclaimed._

_ He, I'm guessing that the figure was a guy, looked around before looking at me._

_ "Who are you?" he countered. __A tick mark appeared on my forehead._

_ "I'm Uzu-freaking-maki Naruto, 'dattebayo!" I yell. __The edge of the man's lips curled slightly upward, amusingly._

_ "Well, my name is Uzumaki Haran, the Sandaime Uzukage," he states..._

_ I blink in surprise. Another Uzumaki?_

_ "You're an Uzumaki, like me?" I ask._

_ "Well," he starts, "only those with the blood of an Uzumaki can open that scroll, so yes,"_

_ "Wow! I'm not the last Uzumaki alive! What happened here? Why was Uzushiogakure destroyed?_

_ How come I don't have red hair? 'Ttebayo?" I ask, talking about a million miles a minute._

_ "Whoa, slow down. I'm just a blood clone, I'm only around until I'm dispelled or I run out of chakra," he __states._

_ I falter at that... I really am the last of my clan then._

_ "But to answer your other questions, Uzushiogakure was attacked by the armies of Iwa, Kumo, and Mizu. __The Uzumaki clan was greatly known and feared for our specialty in fuinjutsu, so they tried to destroy us. __And as for your last question, one of your parents must've had a stronger gene for blonde hair than the __Uzumaki's red hair gene,"_

_..._

_ It took a minute for those answers to settle in, and by then, Haran spoke again._

_ "If you're here, and since I see no others with you, I'm guessing that Uzushiogakure was destroyed," he stated. __I could only nod my head in agreement. A long sigh was heard from Haran. __"Well, since you found this scroll, you must have found the Scroll of Seals,"_

_ "Yeah," I reply._

_ "Well, in that scroll is the forbidden techniques of the Uzumaki clan. Along with the instructions and tips __on how to use the Uzumaki clan's taijutsu and kenjutsu styles, along with enough jewels to buy all of the __Elemental Nations three times over," __My jaw dropped at that. If I wanted to, I could be the richest man in all of the Elemental Nations..._

_ Damn._

_ "So if I may ask, who are your parents?" Haran asks. __I become a bit sadden, but I still answer the question._

_ "My father is Namikaze Minato, and my mother is Uzumaki Kushina," I reply._

_ Haran's eyes widen at the mention of that last name, and starts lightly chuckling._

_ "My little Kushi-chan? How is she?" he asks. __My face contorts to one of sadness at that question._

_ "She's dead, along with my father. They died protecting me and Konoha," I said._

_ Haran stops chuckling at that and becomes a bit saddened._

_ "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know," he states sadly._

_ "It's okay. But how did you know my mom?" I asked._

_ "She's my daughter," he states. __My eyes widen at that._

_ "So that means-"_

_ "Yes, I'm your grandfather, Naruto," he states smiling._

_ "So where exactly are you going?" he asks._

_ "Well," I begin saying, "I'm going to a land beyond the Oki no Okunote,"_

_ "Well then, I'm coming with you," he states._

_..._

_ That makes me think, wasn't he a clone?_

_ "Aren't you a clone? Won't you dispel after this conversation?" I ask. __Haran smiles, as if he knew something I don't._

_ "I'm a blood clone," he states, "blood clones are more durable than regular clones. And on top of __that, I have a reinforcement seal on me along with chakra absorbing seals,"_

_ "So..." I state, not knowing where this was going._

_ "So I'm not going anywhere for a long time. I might as well spend my time bonding with my grandson," __I smile at that. Family was something I never experienced. Having a blood relative was a great thing to me.__ Even if it was only temporary._

_ "But the ship I have only has enough room for a couple of people," I state._

_ "Ah, don't worry about that," he says, "I'll just revert back to scroll form to conserve this clone," __And with that, he sealed himself back into the scroll I found him in._

_ I figured that now would be a good time to rest up a bit, so I sat down in the Uzukage's chair and __dosed off._

_-Naruto's Mindscape-_

_ Great, just great. I try sleeping and I'm pulled into here of all places..._

_ Dammit! I wanted to have that reoccurring ramen dream again!_

_ Shaking those thoughts aside, I head towards the fox's cage._

_ "Oi, furball, why am I here now?" I yell out into the cage. __I heard a shifting noise from behind the bars of the cage._

_ "__**I came here to warn you about some of the side-effects of the deal**__," it stated._

_ "Side-effects? What kind of side effects?" I ask._

_ "__**Well, heightened sense of hearing, sight, and smell. Also, a little surprise**__," __I could tell the furball was grinning now._

_ "What's this surprise you're talking about?"_

_ "__**Oh, you'll see**__,"_

_ What the heck was it talking about? Meh, I'll worry about it later._

_ "Well, if that's all, I'll be leaving now,"_

_ As I was leaving, I heard the sound of chuckling come from the cage..._

_-Uzukage Tower, Uzushiogakure, Saturday, 3:27 P.M.-_

_ I awoke from my short nap. I felt a bit different, but I couldn't figure out why. __I scratch my head for a minute, and then I noticed something different..._

_ I could feel something soft and ear-like, but I just dismiss it as something else..._

_ Then I felt something brush against my leg. I looked down to see a red fox tail with black tips._

_..._

_ It was then, that I calmly reacted to the tail I now had..._

_ "WHAT THE HECK?! WHY DO I HAVE A FREAKING FOX TAIL!" I exclaimed._

_ "__**That is one of the side-effects of the deal I told you about. That, and the fox ears**__," __Quickly, I summon up a Kage Bunshin to check my new features. Only to find that what the fox __said was true..._

_ On my head were two red fox ears with black tips. And a fox tail of the same color orientation was __attached to me..._

_ I stood there in both shock and surprise for a good minute._

_ "__**... Kit-**__"_

_ "I... look... AWESOME, 'TTEBAYO!"_

_ "__**Wait, what?**__" it was the fox's turn to be surprised now. Expecting me to be a bit upset._

_ 'A new look, plus a new life. I guess I should thank you furball,' __The Kyuubi stayed silent for a good minute at that last statement. Until it spoke again._

_ "__**Humph, don't look into it, brat. This is merely me taking pity on you**__," it stated slightly arrogantly. __I huffed in annoyance before speaking again._

_ 'Well, call it what you want, I'm still grateful,' I think. __'So off to Remains, then,'_

_ "__**It's called Remnant, brat**__,"_

_ 'Humph,'_

_..._

_ So after that conversation with the fox, I grab both scrolls and head back to the skiff. __Pulling the anchor out of the water, I take one last look at Uzushiogakure..._

_ I wonder what it would be like if the place was never destroyed... Oh well, I can't dwell on the past._

_ I set sail once again, off to my new life. My new beginning. __A few hours into sailing, my drowsiness kicks in. And I close my eyes._

_Flashback End_

-Somewhere in the Oki no Okunote, 3:26 A.M.-

And here I am now. On a boat in the middle of the ocean.

I close my eyes again, letting myself rest for the time being. A smile graces my face. I bet that from here on out, things will be just fine...

-Third Person P.O.V.-

Just as Naruto thinks that things will turn out fine, he fails to notice the red dawn...

'Red at night, sailor's delight. Red in the morning, sailor's warning.'

He also failed to notice the storm clouds in the distance that he was headed towards...

-Somewhere Different Yet Still in the Oki no Okunote, 7:56 A.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

"**Kit, WAKE UP!**" I hear the Kyuubi yell in my mind. I awoke with a jolt. Looking around, I noticed that the waves that clashed against the boat were less calm and more violent than before.

The sky had darkened. Which was odd, considering it's been only a few hours since I went back to sleep...

A loud 'boom' sound caught my attention. I looked to my right to see thunder strike against the surface of the water. I counted three strikes...

It was then that I realized that I was in the middle of a sea storm.

'Furball! What the heck is going on?!' I yelled in my mind.

"**We're in the middle of A FREAKING STORM! If you don't get out of the storm zone, ****it'll tear the skiff apart!**" Getting what the fox was saying, I attempted to steer the ship out of the storm.

...

Thunder danced around me, striking like the beat of a drum. Waves clashed against the hull of the skiff. Rain struck my skin like a barrage of senbons...

For a long hour, it felt like it was me against nature. As if trying to push me back to the Elemental Nations. But I prevailed. The last of the storm clouds slowly disappearing behind the horizon...

I survived the storm. Hopefully it would be smooth sailing from here on out...

'Whew, that was close,' I mentally say.

"**It sure was, kit**," the kyuubi said.

'Hey, you didn't call me brat this time,' I added, mentally smirking.

"**I have no idea what you're talking about, brat**,"

...

The next few hours were nothing but the sounds of the water in the ocean. I looked out on the horizon as I headed towards my destination.

'Look out, Remnant, cause the number one most hyperactive knucklehead ninja is coming your way! 'Dattebayo!' I menatally said, smiling as I watched the horizon...

Chapter End

* * *

**Post notes**

**First off, I appologize firsthand if any of the information on nautical ships is false and offends any readers,**

**but I'm no sailor.**

**Secondly, this is my first fanfic, as said in the beginning, so most criticism is acceptable. Just don't flame me**

**like there's no tommorrow.**

**And thirdly, any words I put in that are not of the English language I'll try to put down below at the end of**

**each chapter with their respective translations.**

**I will try to update this story as soon as possible whether or not if it gets somewhat popular or not.**

Word Translations

Oki no Okunote- Ocean of Mystery

Kyuubi no Yoko- Nine-Tailed Fox

Uzumaki- Whirlpool

Naruto- Maelstrom, Fishcake

Namikaze- Waves and Wind

Yondaime- Fourth

Sandaime- Third

Hokage- Fire Shadow

Jinchūriki- Power of Human Sacrifice

Iryo Nin- Medical Ninja

**CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	2. Chapter 2- New Lands, New Problems

**Author's Notes**

**Yo, I'm back. CrimsonKyuubiSage here, coming at you with the second**

**chapter of The Maelstrom Hunter. Its been about a week since I posted**

**chapter one of this story, and I have to say, considering the standards I **

**had set for myself for the first chapter, it turned out better than expected.**

**I've read the reviews that some of the readers posted for my story, and**

**this is the part where I acknowledge those reviewers and their opinions**

**on the story.**

**eniox27 - Yes, Naruto is a Pseudo Faunus/Hanyou. And as for the pairing,**

**Naruto x Velvet or Naruto x Ruby sounds interesting, but I still haven't**

**decided on the pairing yet. There will be one in this story, but I'm just**

**trying to figure one out that I can work with, and is unique.**

**AsuravartintheCreatorDestroyer- Yeah, I noticed some of the problems**

**with the formatting structure in chapter one. I'll try to edit the chapters as**

**I go along so that the story doesn't have too many of those kind of problems.**

**warrior of six blades- It is in my belief that even though the council of Konoha**

**is made up of incosiderant senile banshees, they would at least know that they**

**would look weak without their Jinch****ūrik****i. So even though they banished Naruto,**

**they would try to control him to the best of their power whilst continuing their**

**unjust treatment towards him.**

**INO- You bring up a good point, and I have an answer to your question: when I**

**introduce the RWBY cast into the story (which I will by the third or fourth chapter)**

**they won't use Japanese honorifics, only Naruto or anyone else from the Elemental**

**Nations will use Japanese honorifics. This will be because considering that out of all**

**the people in the world, an ancient being as old as when the Legend of the Sage of Six**

**Paths began was one of the few people to know of Remnant. Since there has been no**

**mention of contact between the Elemental Nations or Remnant, it is implied a policy of**

**isolationism. Which means different lands equals different customs. Both lands at least**

**will be able to communicate without having the need of a translator, but some of the habits**

**that are common in Remnant will seem odd to Naruto and vice versa.**

**King of Bad Naming Sense- Not a bad idea, I've decided to use the idea that you gave, cuz**

**going through the whole chapter just to write the translations at the bottom seems more**

**troublesome to do.**

**And now, I present to you, chapter two of The Maelstrom Hunter.**

**I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

* * *

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Last Time, On The Maelstrom Hunter

_ "So what's this place you speak of?"_

_ "__**Hm? Oh yes, there is a place I know of passed the Oki no Okunote**__,"_

_ "But what would be out so far that it's not on the map?" I asked._

_ "__**There is a land known as Remnant. Those lands are far more advanced in technology compared to the**_

_** Elemental Nations**__,"_

_ "Who the heck are you?" I exclaimed._

_ "Well, my name is Uzumaki Haran, the Sandaime Uzukage," he states._

_ "WHAT THE HECK?! WHY DO I HAVE A FREAKING FOX TAIL!" I exclaimed._

_ "__**That is one of the side-effects of the deal I told you about. That, and the fox ears**__,"_

_'Furball! What the heck is going on?!' I yelled in my mind._

_ "We're in the middle of A FREAKING STORM! If you don't get out of the storm zone,_

_ it'll tear the skiff apart!"_

_The next few hours were nothing but the sounds of the water in the ocean._

_ I looked out on the horizon as I headed towards my destination._

_ 'Look out, Remnant, cause the number one most hyperactive knucklehead ninja is coming your way!_

_ 'Dattebayo' I mentally said, smiling as I watched the horizon._

* * *

Chapter 2- New Lands, New Problems

-Oki no Okunote, Fifteen Days Since Leaving Uzushiogakure, Naruto's P.O.V.-

I stared down at my own reflection in the water. The waves gently striking the wooden exterior of the skiff.

The sun high up in the sky, not a cloud in sight. Compared to the turbulent storm that had passed a week ago,

everything was calm.

In other words, it was sooo boring.

A groan of boredom escaped my lips as I stuck the tip of my hand in the water lazily. It had been about a week

or so since leaving Uzushiogakure (Village Hidden in the Whirlpool), and about the same time since the storm he

encountered had passed.

'Hey Kyuubi,' I mentally said. I got no response from the fox.

'Hey Kyuubi, furball, furball, furball, furball, fox, fox, fox, fo-'

"**WHAT!" **the Kyuubi exclaims, having enough of my pestering.

'I'm sooo bored,'

If there is such thing as a facepalming giant fox, I'm pretty sure I found one.

'Are we there yet?' I asked the fox.

"**No**,"

It was silent for the longest time so far. Thirty seconds.

'Are we there yet?'

"**No**,"

'Are we there yet?'

"**No**," the Kyuubi replied, slightly more aggravated.

'...Now?'

"**No**,"

'Now?'

"**No.**"

'Now?'

"**No!**"

'Now?'

"**NO.**"

'Now?'

"**NO!**"

'...Now-'

"**FOR THE LAST TIME, NO! NOW SHUT UP BRAT, FOR KAMI'S SAKE.**

**SERIOUSLY!**"

'Alright. Chill, furball,'

Even with the fox sealed inside my gut, I could feel trace amounts of killing intent

directed at me.

'Wait a sec, how is it possible that I can see your cage in my mind, yet you're sealed

in my gut?' I asked mentally.

"**Don't question it, kit. Just ignore it**," it said.

'But-'

"**IGNORE it, kit**,"

'But-'

"**Just ignore it, brat. You'll fry your brain trying to comprehend it**,"

Ignoring the jab at my intellect, I resumed my previous action of attempting

to make a miniature whirlpool in the water surrounding the boat.

'Hey Kyuubi,' I say, finally bored with trying to make that miniature whirlpool.

"**What is it, brat? You better not say you're bored or if we're there yet or so help**

**me-**"

'No, no. I just have a question'

"**And?**"

'And I was hoping you could answer it,'

"**Humph, it depends on whether or not I care to answer your question, brat**,"

'How'd you know of Remnant? I never heard of it until you told me about it,'

"**Well first off, you're an idiot, so its no wonder you've never heard of it**," the Kyuubi said

mockingly, "**and secondly, I'm a thousand year old entity, how would I not know about it**,"

Satisfied with that answer, I continued staring at the water for the next few hours. Soon enough, I

saw a sign of hope.

"Land!" I exclaimed. Finally, after two weeks out sailing across the ocean, land.

As soon as the skiff came closer to land, I noticed there were trees. LOTS and lots of trees, and they

looked foreign to him compared to Konoha's forest. A thick fog coaxed the forest, yet I could see clearly

what the place looked like. The trees had thick dark trunks that branched out and were covered by

emerald-green leaves at the top. There were a few bushes of the same color leaves here and there, giving

plenty of opportunities for ambushes. Some small patches of grass were scattered here and there, gently

swaying from a breeze.

I figured that it would look suspicious if there was an abandoned ship at the shores of this land, so I decided

to sink the ship offshore, hopefully the sunken skiff would be swept out to sea, leaving no traces of my arrival.

But how would I put large enough holes into the ship.

Suddenly, I had an idea. A crazy, ridiculous idea.

"**I know what your thinking, kit. I don't think it's a good idea**,"

'I know it's not a good idea, which is why I'm doing it,' I said mentally, a smirk plastered on my face.

"Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!" I called out. Forming the jutsu in my right hand as it impacted on the bottom of the skiff. Both wood

and water alike exploded out from the impact, leaving a large, gaping hole in the bottom of the ship. Of course, I knew

that leaving the ship like this wouldn't be enough to leave no traces of my arrival, so I pulled out a few explosive tags

to put on the skiff.

"**Why didn't you just do that in the first place?**" the Kyuubi asked.

'I dunno, I didn't think of it beforehand,'

"**Idiot**,"

'Love you too, furball,'

After placing the last explosive tag on the skiff, I put my hand on the one closest to the edge of the skiff, and channeled

my chakra through my hand. The effect was instantaneous, as the tag was activated. Jumping off the skiff, and using the

water-walking technique, I ran from the ship to shore. Halfway to shore, the explosive tags went off and completely destroyed

the sinking ship, leaving no traces whatsoever. Reaching the shore, I looked around to see if anyone witnessed my actions.

Luckily no one was around to hear the explosion.

"**Kit, there's something that is of upmost importance that you need to do**," the Kyuubi said in a serious sounding voice.

'What? What is so important that I need to do right this moment?' I asked.

"**Kit, you need to lose the jumpsuit**," it said.

'WHAT?! But orange is awesome 'ttebayo!' I exclaimed in outrage. No one messes with my orange.

"**I didn't say you had to give up orange, just the jumpsuit. You're a walking target in it**,"

I tried to come up with an excuse for that, but I couldn't. Looking at my clothes I realized that the Kyuubi was right. The jumpsuit

would stand out if anyone from Konoha, heck, if anyone who was looking for me recognized my attire. I took off my orange jumpsuit,

leaving me in a black t-shirt with the Uzumaki symbol on the back, covering my mesh shirt. I also had my orange jumpsuit's pants on,

since I didn't have any other pants. It was a start, but I looked a lot less like a walking target, and more like a civilian.

Using the free labor work force known as Kage Bunshins, I dug a hole in the ground. Giving one last look at my orange jumpsuit, I

threw it in the hole and had Kage Bunshins cover it up. After burying the jumpsuit, I started walking away from the direction the ocean

was in, and deeper into the forest.

Five hours into walking, along with a three hour-long game of 'I Spy', much to the Kyuubi's annoyance, I heard a rustling sound come

from a nearby bush. My shinobi (ninja) instincts kicked in as I pulled out a kunai and got into a defensive stance, bracing myself for

whatever it was that was coming.

Out of the bushes came a large beast that resembled a bear, but looked like it came out of a nightmare. It was twice the size of a grown man,

its fur pitch black, spike-like bones could be seen coming out of its back, along with razor sharp claws and a bone-white mask.

"**ROOAAARRR!**" the beast shouted.

"So, can you tell me which direction civilization is in?" I asked the beast innocently.

"**ROOAAARRR!**" the beast exclaimed once more.

"I guess not," I said, a sigh escaping my mouth.

The beast got into a charging stance, and ran straight at me. Waiting until the last moment, I dogded the incoming attack and threw the

kunai in my hand at the beast's neck. It didn't even do so much as scratch the surface of its fur and piss him off. I frowned a bit, if I

couldn't hit it with my kunai, maybe my Rasengan would do better. Forming said jutsu in my hand, I charged at the beast. I got closer

to the beast and dodged a swipe of its claws directed at me, and shoved my Rasengan in its face.

"Rasengan!" I exclaimed as it impacted against the beasts head.

I got the desired results as the beast was sent spiralling backwards, crashing through a nearby tree. After a few minutes of not hearing

or seeing the beast get up, I figured that it was either dead or knocked out. I was slightly exhausted. What the heck was that thing? I've

never seen anything like it in the Elemental Nations.

'What the heck was that?' I asked the Kyuubi.

'**What the heck? Why did I sense a fragment of 'it' coming from that creature?**'

"**I don't know, kit**," it finally said, "**but whatever it was, it certainly was strong**,"

I frowned at that, even the Kyuubi didn't know it, and thought it was strong. Which probably meant it was dangerous. If there's more

out there, then I'm in trouble.

Shaking my head of those thoughts, I focused on the problem at hand. I was in the middle of a forest, filled with these beasts, and with

no clue where civiliation was, if there was any. I decided to ask the Kyuubi if he knows where civilization is.

"**Idiot, I'm a thousand year-old being of mass destruction. The only time I seek out any civilization, it's to destroy it**,"

'Well then how am I supposed to find civilization?' I asked.

"**Ask your grandpa, I don't know**,"

That was a good idea, maybe Haran-jiji could help me out here. Getting out the scroll he was stored in, I channeled chakra into it and

out popped my grandpa. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the new environment, and looked at me.

"Hm? Where are we?" he asked.

"We're no longer in the Elemental Nations, we're in that land I told you about beyond the Oki no Okunote (Ocean of Mystery)," I replied.

"Oh, no wonder I didn't recognize any of the topography,"

"So can you help me find civilization?" I asked.

"Okay," he said, touching the ground with his index finger. After a minute, he stopped what he was doing and spoke.

"Civilization is in that direction," he said, pointing North, "I could sense a large gathering of civilian and low genin level energies,"

"Thanks jiji," I said to him. Nodding his head, he resealed himself in the same scroll.

Grabbing the scroll, I started to treck in the direction that he sensed civilization in. A few hours passed whilst running, occasionally

stumbling across those beasts like the one from before. Luckily, I figured out that even though these things are strong, they're

also incredibly dumb. I was able to use diversions to sneak pass them if I encountered them. I looked up to see that the sun was

starting to set, so I decided to continue running for a bit longer and once night hit, I would sleep.

I spent another hour running before the sun finally dipped passed the horizon, and the world was cloaked in the darkness of night. Finding

the tallest tree nearby, I climbed up and settled on top of one of the branches high off the ground. Exhaustion from the day finally caught

up with me and I immediately fell asleep.

The next day, after waking up from my ramen-filled dream. I heard a growling sound come from nearby. Fully alert, I jumped up and started

looking from left to right trying to figure out where that sound came from. Until I heard the growling sound once more. Looking down, I

noticed that it was my stomach growling at me. Figures.

After a breakfast consisting of some of the ration bars left over from my seafaring, along with some tree bark, I started my treck to

civilization once again. And soon enough, after three hours of running, along with five encounters with those wierd beasts, and some mild

cursing from comical injury, I saw something that I guessed was a road. Except unlike the roads in the Elemental Nations, which were dirt paths

and some cobblestone paths, these roads had some kind of smooth black rock covered with white and yellow lines.

Suddenly, some type of red metal box flew passed me. I was only able to catch a small glimpse of the red metal box, but it was enough to

confuse me. It had silver wheels outlined with black, yet I saw no horses pulling it along. Was it some type of horseless carriage? I thought

that carriages needed to have horses pull them. Were they hidden in some compartment? Or perhaps someone shot it out of a large cannon

like a cannonball would be. Either way, it confused me to no end at how that horseless carriage worked.

Deciding not to think about it, I followed the black stone-paved road to its destination. And soon enough, I saw signs of a village. Only the

buildings in this village were colossal and made of some odd grey stones. Even the Hokage Tower in Konoha wasn't as tall as some of the

buildings here. I remember once hearing of a village like this in the Elemental Nations called Arm or something, I wasn't really paying that

much attention to what I heard about it.

Once I entered the massive village, I noticed that there were more of those horseless carriages zipping around left and right on those black roads, people dressed in a variety of odd clothes and walked on gray paths filled with random cracks here and there. Realizing I didn't know anything about the environment I was entering, I hid in one of the few shady-looking alleys nearby. I formed a familiar handsign, and formed twenty Kage Bunshins that Henged into random people I saw walking around in this village. I ordered half of them to scout out the village while the other half were ordered to find a source of information on this land. Given their orders, the Henged clones separated to perform the tasks they were assigned. Whilst I myself went to search for a clothing store to, ahem, "borrow" some clothes.

Whilst walking around in search for a clothing store, I noticed some of the people I passed by were sending either looks of confusion at the giant scroll on my back, or glares in my direction. Not as bad as some of the glares I got back in Konoha, but it still felt the same. I was in a new land to get away from that kind of treatment, not to get glared at by random strangers.

Eventually I found a clothing store. I went inside the store, it wasn't big, but it wasn't too small. Civilian clothes ranging in size and color surrounded

the area. I started walking towards one of the clothing racks, finding the clothes that I wanted shouldn't be hard. I was in the middle of finding some

pants after selecting a few shirts, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Excuse me," I heard from behind me.

I turned my head to see one of the store's employees standing behind me. He wore a red vest on top of a dark blue polo and had bags under his eyes.

"Do you need something?" I asked.

"Yes," the man said, "your kind isn't allowed in this store,"

"What?" I asked, more confused at what he meant than angry.

"We don't serve Faunus," he explained.

"What's a Faunus?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Just get out," he replied, ignoring my question.

I decided not to make a scene, I agreed to leave, but not before "borrowing" the clothes I selected. And flipping off the employee. Laughing as I ran, I felt an all-so familiar rush of memories hit me. One of my clones sent back information on a potential temporary base of operation I could use. I would need one to eat, sleep, and train.

Heading to the place Clone #7 found, weaving through crowds of people along the way, I pondered on what that employee called me. What exactly was a Faunus? Is that some form of slang for blond people? Did he have some sort of grudge against blonds? My blond hair is awesome!

"**Somehow, I'm pretty sure that isn't what it means, baka**," I hear the Kyuubi say.

'Do you ever have anything nice to say?'

"**Do you ever stop being an idiot?**"

'Hey!' I mentally exclaimed, insulted by what the Kyuubi said.

After that "pleasant" short conversation with the Kyuubi, I noticed I had arrived at the warehouse my clone found. The warehouse was very large, there were large, murky windows on both of the longer sides of the building. The paint that coated the warehouse had begun to chip away, small cracks were present on its surface. At least it was still standing.

Entering the warehouse, I noticed that the inside of the warehouse was enormous on the inside. A few lights hung from the ceiling, with the last one flickering on and off, and some giant red, blue, and orange boxes that looked like they once held some supplies were scattered in various areas of the place.

As I laid the Scroll of Seals down and unraveled it, and started reading its contents. I was reading about elemental manipulation, when more of my clones' memories were recieved. So that's what a Faunus is. A person with certain animal traits that set them apart from humans. They were also the Jinchūriki of society, treated unjustly just because they were different.

But what concerned him was this White Fang group. A once non-violent civil rights group turned crime syndicate, they were very active, and VERY aggressive. And the worst part was, their group was effective. Attacking stores that refused to provide their services to Faunus, steal cargo and attack companies that used Faunus labor, it got Faunus equality. But it wasn't out respect, it was out of fear.

Another rush of memories brought me out of my musings. A look of horror had spread across my face. Out of all the things my clones have done so far, from peeking on the woman's side of the hot springs in Konoha like Jiraiya, to eating some of my instant ramen, and even one case with a Naru_ko_ incident, this one is the worst of all.

An involuntary groan escaped my lips. I had to go back to a prison I had escaped just months ago. A dark, opressing fortress of knowledge and boredom. I had to go back to school.

"Sigh, goodbye Konoha Academy, hello Signal Academy," I said to no one in particular as I continued reading what was in the scroll.

Chapter End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**Finally finished this chapter, and it was hard to write. My PC is having a problem where there is a two second delay in everything I type. Luckily, I was nearly finished writing this chapter when the problem happened. I still have to fix this problem, or I won't be able to write chapters at the same rate.**

**I apologize if this chapter seems shorter than the first, but place the blame on my computer's problem. Don't worry, I'll try to make the next few chapters longer.**

**Also, I've decided on Naruto's weapon(s), I'm not gonna say what it is until the next chapter. The same thing goes for the team Naruto will be on. As for the cast of RWBY, the first few will appear in the next chapter.**

**And for those who don't understand why Naruto was bewildered by the city and technology, allow me to explain. Naruto is from a less technologically advanced civilization, and considering that the Elemental Nations and Remnant haven't had any contact in a thousand or so years... But there is a reason for that... And that reason has relation to Naruto. I've also decided to draw some events and characters from the story. They'll be posted to Deviantart under the same name as my Fanfiction account.**

**Until next time, Ja Ne!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage**


	3. Chapter 3- Episode One: Ruby Rose

**Author's Notes**

**Yo, what's up, CrimsonKyuubiSage here, bringing you chapter three of TMH. I have to say that I'm quite proud of this story so far, hopefully being as original as I can. But now onto answering questions from the reviewers:**

**Rubinwanderer- Naruto's first RWBY character encounter will be in this chapter, you'll have to read to find out. As for the team Naruto will be on... It's a secret. But I must say, it'll probably be a first kind of RWBY team.**

**So here's a challenge for you Rubin, and all readers of this story: I challenge you to try to figure out what team Naruto will be on, you can guess as many times as you want, but I won't give the answer until after the events of the Emerald Forest. But if you figure it out, you'll get an Internet Cookie :)**

**OBSERVER01- Have no fear, Naruto will resume his pranking in this story. Mwahahahaha.**

**And on a final note, the story's pairing has been decided, DRUMROLL PLEASE [Queue Drumroll].**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**AND THE WINNER IS... Naruto x Ruby! I like the idea of two bubbly personalities together, plus, it seems like a cute pairing. And I MAY make it into Naruto x Ruby x 1-2 other girl(s). So all of you NaruHarem fans may still have a sliver of hope.**

**And now, without any further delay, I bring you, chapter three of The Maelstrom Hunter.**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or Ruby, if I did, it would be an OP Naruto, not an OP Madara.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Signal Academy, 8:56 A.M., Monday, Naruto's P.O.V.-

How the heck did I get back to this place?! I thought I was done going to school after I graduated from Konoha Academy. But here I am, all uniformed up, books in hand, and a small frown on my face. The uniform consisted of a white, short-sleeved, button-up shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, black pants with pockets in the sides, and black Venetian shoes.  
Again, how did I get into this mess?

_Flashback Begin_

_-Near Signal Academy, 11:35 A.M., Clone #10's P.O.V.-_

_A sigh escaped my lips, I just had to be one of the smarter clones. Not one of the many clones with such a short lifespan that they would only complete their tasks and then cease to exist. Oh well, can't dwell on that._

_I decided to complete my task as slow as possible, just so I could have a longer life than most clones. Taking the time to reflect on the purpose of my existence and how it didn't fill the empty void feeling I had. I was in deep thought for a few hours, taking in the sights and sounds and scents. Soon enough, around noon, I stumbled across a cluster of tannish buildings that were connected by one of those gray stone paths, only these paths looked more new and didn't have cracks in them. These paths were sieged by areas covered in green grass, a few small trees lined near the path here and there. In front of me, to my right, was a large stone the same color of the buildings with an inscription, it said: "Welcome to Signal Academy, Training the Hunters and Huntresses of Tomorrow."_

_Hunters? Huntresses? I was not familiar with the term, so my curiosity was peaked._

_"Hey, you!" I heard from behind me._

_I turned my head to see a large, burly man with pale skin and brown hair approaching me. His demeanor consisted of a blue button-up shirt along with navy blue pants. He had a shining metal item attached above his chest, and a black item, which I had guessed was a radio, attached to his left shoulder. If I had to guess, he was probably a guard of some kind._

_"Me?" I asked, not knowing where this was headed._

_"Yes, you! What the heck are you doing out of class?" the man exclaimed._

_"Uh-" I started, confused by his statement._

_"Nevermind, you're coming with me to the principal's office," he cut me off, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me in what was most likely the direction of the principal's office._

_So, from what I have figure out, this is a school campus and this man, who is most likely a security guard, is pulling me to the school's principal's office to most likely receive punishment. Kami, why couldn't I be one of the less troublesome clones._

_Soon enough, we arrived at the school's principal's office. The man who had dragged me here opened the door, inside the room was quite simple. The walls were a light shade of gray, there was a filing cabinet in both corners of the room, and in the center, a desk made of oak wood rested, the surface covered by stacks of paper, though none the size of what the Hokage had to deal with, a few pens, and a nameplate in the front center of the desk._

_"Mr. Brown," the security guard started, addressing the man who stood behind the desk, "I caught this young hoodlum trying to skip class,"_

_"Well," Mr. Brown, a middle-aged slightly balding man with glasses, said, "we won't have any of that, what's the students name?"_

_"Erm, well..." the security guard started, "I didn't exactly get the name of this student, what's your name?"_

_Even in these circumstances, I gave the man a deadpanned look._

_"Naruto Uzumaki," I said, seeing as their surname goes after their bornname._

_"Ah, well Mr. Uzumaki, I haven't heard of you being at this school before,"_

_I panicked a bit, hoping that they wouldn't find out I wasn't really part of this school. Suddenly, I got an idea._

_"I'm new here," I said, sweating slightly._

_A small silence graced the room as I awaited my fate._

_"Well that explains why," Mr. Brown said._

_"But that still doesn't explain why you were skipping your classes," the security guard said._

_"I kinda... lost my schedule," I lied._

_"Oh," the security guard said, embarrassed a bit._

_"Now Harold," the newly named Harold the security guard straightened up a bit, "go back to what you were doing, and this time, before you bring people to my office, make sure you get their Identity first,"_

_Harold nodded his head, and left the room. Mr. Brown had a smile on his face before Harold left the room. After he left, his smile turned into a slight frown._

_"Now Mr. Uzumaki," he started, his voice turning more serious, "I don't like it when people lie to me right in front of my face. So tell me exactly who you are,"_

_I stared at the man in surprise. He had been able to see right through my lie._

_"How did you know I was lying?" I asked._

_"Mr. Uzumaki, I've dealt with a Lot of students over the years. I learned to tell when students lie or not,"_

_"Well, my name really is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm sort of a runaway," I said, "I left my homeland because of certain circumstances that I'm not willing to say,"_

_"Hm, so you've run away from home? Where exactly is your home?" he asked._

_"Do you have a map?" I asked. He nodded his head and brought out a map the size of half the desk._

_The map itself was simple enough, it had a light brown color, highlighting the land masses in black. Four castle-like icons stood out on the map, most likely indicating areas of civilization. I dragged my finger across the map until it hit the land mass near the bottom center area. Mr. Brown looked surprised at that._

_"Here," I said. Mr. Brown looked between me and the area of the map I had pointed to._

_"There?" he asked, unsure about my answer._

_"Yes, I came from a land known by the name of the Elemental Nations," I answered._

_"And you're sure of this?"_

_"Yes, I lived in an area known as the Elemental Nations,"_

_After that, we talked about the Elemental Nations. He asked me about my homeland and I asked him about this place. I told briefly about chakra and how it worked, and that I was hiding from people who wanted to use me as a weapon. Soon enough, he helped me create a false identity and enrolled me into his school, Signal Academy. I got my class schedule and thanked him for his help._

_And that was the end of my lifespan. I closed my eyes, accepting my fate, and then everything was black. Followed by a blinding white._

_Flashback End_

-Signal Academy, 8:59 A.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

Students passed by me, wrapped up in their own conversations. I was caught up in my own thoughts when I heard a giggling noise come from behind me.I turned my head to see a group of girls giggling and blushing at me.

Oh Kami no, not the fangirls! I saw what Sasuke had to go through with them, I almost felt pity for him. Now, I'm just sympathetic towards him, which is a first.

"Kukukukuku," I felt a shiver go down my spine as one of the girls laughed creepy, joined by the other girls. Fearing for my life, I used the 'Secret Technique: Run From the Fangirls no Jutsu', a technique I had seen Sasuke-teme, Kakashi, and Karasu-ANBU use many times before.

Quickly escaping the sight of the fangirls, I weaved in and out of crowds until I got to a corner and faster than lightning hid behind it. Using my awesome shinobi powers I sensed around the corner (I comically poked my head around the corner and looked left and right). Seeing as I wasn't being followed, I sighed in relief. I escaped the horrors known as fangirls.

"**For now...**" I hear the Kyuubi say. That wasn't very reassuring, but then again, it's the Kyuubi's job to screw with me psychologically.

Ignoring the Kyuubi, I took a look at my new surroundings. Great, just great. Lost before the first day has even begun.

"You look lost, you need any help?" I hear a feminine voice from behind me.

I turn my head to see a girl around my age behind me. She was wearing the girls school uniform, which consisted of a dark red plaid skirt, a white, short-sleeved button-up shirt, and black flat shoes. She had black hair with red streaks, and two silver eyes that had a slight gleam in them.

"Yeah, I'm new to the school, and I maaaaay have gotten lost," I said, stretching out the last part.

"I can show you to your classes," she said, " by the way, I'm Ruby, nice to meet you,"

"Name's Naruto, the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja," I said, puffing out my chest in pride.

"But I thought ninjas were supposed to be stealthy, you didn't look so stealthy back there," my chest, along with a bit of my pride, deflated at that.

"You saw that?" I asked. She just giggled a bit.

"Maaaaaaybe," she said, a small smirk plastered on her face.

"So, can you help me find my class?" I asked, changing the subject off of my shenanigans.

"Sure, where you headed to?"

I look down at the paper that held my schedule. It said my first class was with someone by the name of Qrow. What kind of a name was that?

"It says I have my first class with some guy by the name of... Qrow?" I said, hopefully pronouncing his name right.

"Oh! You got my uncle for your first class," she exclaims cheerfully.

"Sweet! 'Dattebayo!" I exclaimed.

"'Dattebayo?" she curiously asked.

"Sorry, it's a verbal tick," I said, looking away slightly out of embarrassment.

"We have to get to classes before we're late!" she exclaims, looking at the time.

After receiving directions from Ruby to Qrow's class, I ran to the place so that I wouldn't be late. Whilst running to class, I ran into someone, both of us went down.

"Sorry about that," I said.

I looked at who I ran into and found the person who I had collided with. I didn't get a good look at who I ran into, but I could tell that the person I ran into was female. She had a slightly more tanned skin compared to mine, and spiky mint green hair.

"Crap! Sorry about running into you, but I got to get to class," I exclaimed, running towards class as I waved goodbye before she could answer.

Finally, after running to the classroom, I found Professor Qrow's room. Opening the door, I entered to see that my tardiness had gone unoticed, thankfully. Other students talked with their friends, all excited for the first day.

The room itself was larger than expected. The seats were leveled so that an arc was formed around the center and each level was slightly more elevated than the last. In the center of the room, in front of a green chalkboard was a tall man. He had black hair with patches of gray hair visibly present, dark-gray eyes that held years of experience and knowledge, and he wore black pants and a gray suit.

"Alright class," he started, "take your seats. I'm Professor Qrow, welcome to Weapons 101,"

-7 Hours Later-

Classes were over once that final bell rang, I left the classroom with a speed that would put the Hirashin (Flying Thunder God) to shame. Groups of people moved together, chatting with one another about classes and their lives. I was walking down the path, minding my own business when I heard someone call out my name.

"Hey Naruto!" I heard from my left.

I turned my head to the source of the voice to see Ruby and another girl standing with her. The other girl had long, wavy blonde hair that accented her royal purple eyes. Along with the school uniform which was mandatory, she had on black fingerless gloves and yellow metallic bracelets.

"Hiya Ruby!" I called back. I moved over to where the duo was standing and started up a conversation.

"So how was your first day at Signal?" Ruby asked.

"Pretty good," I said, "a bit hectic though,"

"So who's tall, blonde, and foxy here sis," the blonde girl standing next to Ruby asked.

"Oh yeah! Naruto, this is my sister, Yang, Yang, this is Naruto," Ruby replied.

"Nice to meet you," I said, smiling a bit.

"Likewise," Yang replied, also smiling.

The three of us talked for a bit after introductions were out of the way, but eventually, we all said our goodbyes and parted ways. Soon after they left though, I noticed another familiar face.

The girl I had run into earlier was talking with two other guys. The one to her left stood around six feet tall or so, had dark brown spiked hair, and light brown eyes, and strangely enough, a white horse tail. The other guy to their right was at least a foot shorter than that horse guy, he had red shaggy hair along with a small beard, his eyes were charcoal black, and like the taller guy, he too had a tail, except his resembled that of a monkeys' tail.

Before I could say anything to them though, they had already left. I shrugged my shoulders, I would probably run into them later on. Heading off of the school campus, I ventured the city in search of easy pickpockets and shops.

-Naruto's Base, 8:23 P.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

'Today was exciting' I thought to myself. It was really surprising at how easy it is to pickpocket people in this city and get away with it. And after "borrowing" some money and some "other stuff", I bought some dinner and materials for making myself a weapon, using the shops that Professor Qrow recommended for our first project, creating our own weapon.

"**No, it wasn't**," the Kyuubi said, "**there's nothing fun around here**,"

'...You just had to, didn't you,' I mentally deadpanned.

"**Had to what?**" the Kyuubi asked.

Cutting the mental connection I had with the Kyuubi, I entered the warehouse I was staying in. As I entered, I heard the sound of talking come from inside, preparing myself, I pulled out a hidden kunai I had hidden in my pants. crouching down I peaked around the corner to see who was in my base of operations. Luckily, I had hidden the Scroll of Seals in one of the storage units.

There were at least ten people in front of me. They all wore black suits with red shades, and black fedoras. Seven of them had red katanas in their hand whilst the other three had hand cannons, or "pistols" as they're called, in their hands. Forming ten Kage Bunshins, the clones snuck behind the armed people. Nodding my head, I signaled the clones to strike as they each knocked out their targets. After all the targets were knocked out, I mentally ordered the clones to tie them up near the nearest police station.

After the last of the clones exited with the unconscious men, I took it upon myself to investigate why they were here in the first place. In the center of the room there were several large dark-gray crates. curiosity got the better of me as I moved closer to one of the crates and opened it up.

Standing back and covering my face in case it was an explosive, I braced myself. After a few seconds, and not exploding I peaked past my defenses to see what was in the crate.

It wasn't explosives, nor was it drugs. Instead, the crate was loaded with these odd glowing crystals of varying colors. I think they're called Dust crystals, if what Mr. Brown told me is correct. And if they're as useful as he says, then I just struck the motherload.

It was then and there that I "calmly" reacted to this bountiful collection of Dust that I had acquired by jumping around in joy and frothing slightly from the mouth. It certainly was a good day to be me.

"Ahem," I heard from behind me.

I turned my head to see a man in a red-collared white suit, a gray scarf, black gloves with rounded sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a red band. What was noticeable was his bright orange hair and dark green eyes, and a cane-shaped object in his hand.

"Do you mind," I stated slightly pissed off, "you're ruining a perfect moment here,"

"Yes, I do believe that those crystals are mine, though," the man stated, in a overly polite tone with a hint of anger.

"And?" I stated, not caring about what he said. The man looked at me slightly pissed.

"And they should be returned to their rightful owner, me,"

I narrowed my eyes. Where have I seen this guy before? Wait a minute!

"Hey, I recognize you, you're that criminal guy on tv that wears the eyeliner!" I exclaimed, pointing accusingly at him. The man's left eye twitched slightly, but he still kept his composure.

"Yes, yes I am. Now give me the Dust, blonde," he said.

"Why should I?" I asked dryly.

"Well... um..." his mouth opened to give an explanation, but no words came out of his mouth. After a minute, he finally shrugged his shoulders and slumped in defeat.

"I got nothing," he finally said, "just give me the damn Dust,"

Then he pointed his cane at me, revealing a hollowed out hole at the bottom of it, most likely to shoot something.

"Face it blonde, I have the advantage over this battle," he said with a smirk. I formed an all-so familiar cross-shaped hand sign.

"Oh really," I said, giving a smirk of my own and formed a dozen Kage Bunshins, "I beg to differ,"

His expression went to that of a mixture of confusion, surprise, and panic, seeing as he was out-numbered and caught by surprise. He lowered his cane-cannon and put his hands up in mock defeat.

"Okay, that I didn't expect. Take me away Mr. Fuzz," he said mockingly, extending his hands out like he was being cuffed.

"You have ten seconds to leave," I said, "I'd take that offer, if I were you,"

He casually strode out of the room, as if I wasn't very threatening. Before he left, he turned to me.

"I won't forget this," he said, a scowl on his face, "next time, you'll regret messing with me,"

"Whatever you say, flaky," that got another eye twitch out of him. And with that, he left.

Making sure that he was gone, I went to the cargo box I hid the Scroll of Seals in to see if it was still there. Thankfully, it was still there. Grabbing it, I unraveled it and activated the Uzumaki blood scroll. And in a puff of smoke, Haran-jiji appeared. After taking in the new surroundings, he turned to speak to me.

"Looks like you found yourself a neat little hideout," he said. As my left eye twitched, he started smirking.

"I like to call it my hidden base of operations," I stated, sticking my tongue out in a childlike manner at the end. His smirk got bigger at that, before his expression turned serious. Getting into a fighting stance, he spoke to me.

"Now, let's start working on your training, shall we," he said. After speaking he charged at me, not even giving me time to get into a fighting stance.

-Unknown Location, Third Person P.O.V.-

"-And you're sure of this" a male voice said.

"I'm positive," a female voice replied, "didn't you feel it as well?"

"I can't say I didn't," a third voice replied, also male, "but if he's here, do you think-"

"Most likely," the first voice replied, "but I think we'll be hidden for two, three years at the most before we encounter others,"

The three mysterious figures stayed silent after that, digesting the new information. They had expected this for a while now, but had secretly hoped that they wouldn't be found out.

"Does he know?" the first voice asked, finally breaking the silence that permeated the air.

"I don't think its likely," the second voice answered, "but he'll eventually find out,"

"And when he does, then what?" the third voice asked.

"Then that's when we'll confront him," the second voice replied.

Silence once again filled the air, as the trio stood silent, waiting for someone to break the silence. And eventually, the third voice spoke up.

"I still think we should confront him now," the third voice stated, uneasy with the current plan.

"It'll be better if he figures it out on his own, that way should he be caught, our secret will be safe," the second voice said.

"Fine," the third voice finally conceded.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The trio stared at one another, as if already knowing what the other was going to say.

"500 Ryo on it taking him one year," the first voice said.

"You're on, I'll place 500 on two," the third voice challenged.

"Humph, idiots," the second voice, the only female present said before smirking, "500 on three,"

"You're gonna make me rich," the first voice said, a smirk could be made out in the shadows.

"As if, you'll be weeping when I clean you out," the third voice countered.

"Boys please, you'll both be weeping when I win," the female said, having the largest smirk of the trio.

-Three Years Later, Third P.O.V.-

"Legends," a female voice started, "stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past."

The gems in the image glow green and fade to show simple pictures of a man rising from the earth before being surrounded by creatures, barey held back by warriors.

"Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness - creatures of destruction; the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void."

Black sets in, then suddenly lessens as a light grows brighter and brighter until a gem rises from it and lowers itself into the hands of man.

"However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named Dust."

The scene zooms out to show men shooting lightning, raising swords, and aiming rifles at the retreating beasts as a castle appears behind them.

"Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life."

The castle zooms out to show the world map, which houses other buildings until they disappear in flashes of white and the map is lowered to show the scattering moon over a city at night.

"But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die, and when they are gone... darkness will return."

Roman Torchwick and fourteen of his henchmen head down an alley from the shadows. They stop behind Roman, who reignited his cigar without touching it and grins before walking down the road, frightening nearby citizens as they make their way towards the shop _From Dust Till Dawn_.

"So you may prepare your guardians, build your monuments to a so-called 'free world', but take heed... there will be no victory in strength."

Roman and his henchmen enter the store, approaching the shopkeeper.

"But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten..." a different, more masculine voice says.

The image turns black, revealing nothing but a pair of two fire balls, one blue and one red. The two fire balls combine in a counterclockwise direction, forming a pair of dark purple eyes with four concentric rings fanning out from the pupil across the scalera of both eyes.

"-Things that require a smaller, more honest soul..." a third voice finished.

The two eyes suddenly collided with each other, forming one eye. As soon as the two eyes became one, the eye changed from dark purple with four rings to crimson red, still retaining its four rings, only difference being that all of the rings except the furthest from the pupil had three tomoe, making a total of nine tomoe in the eye.

-Near From Dust Till Dawn, Naruto's P.O.V.-

Here I was, walking to a store called _From Dust Till Dawn_, reading the book I had gotten from Detarame no Sato, _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, which was an interesting read considering Jiraiya's books were mainly smut. Thinking about the perverted hermit made me think on what's happened in the last three years.

Wow, time really flies. These last three years went by so fast, and with so much progress. I mean seriously, it felt as if some guy was typing words into a computer, got lazy, and decided to skip over some sort of canon timeline, whatever the heck that means (**Meh, it's partially true \\\^.^/**). Shaking the thought aside, I decided for some random reason to stroll down memory lane.

Well, let's see here, Kyuubi attack on Konoha, check. Crappy twelve years, check. Betrayed by my supposed best friend, check. Struck a deal with the devil, check. Got a new look, check. Became a student, check. Built an awesome weapon, definite check. Learned new awesome jutsus, double check!

I changed over the years, no longer standing at 5'11, now standing at 6'1, my once spiky golden blonde hair has grown out more and now with jaw-length bangs, just like my father had. All-in-all, I looked more like my father would, if he had whisker marks, and fox ears and tail. I was wearing something similar to what ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad) wore, minus the mask. I wore a sleeveless turtle-neck black shirt, black fingerless gloves with metal plates that had the Uzumaki symbol etched in them, black pants with bandages wrapped around the right thigh, black ninja sandals, a gray flak jacket with the Uzumaki symbol in a dark orange on the back, and to top it all off, I had a pair of goggles similar to my old ones on top of my head, except the cloth was a dark red. My body had no baby fat left, all of it being molded into muscle from Haran-jiji's training.

Along with my increase in physical strength, my training in fuuinjutsu, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu had exponentially increased. My genjutsu was still crap, but it had gotten better. I've discovered that I can use genjutsu, but I can't cast it without fuuinjutsu seals because of my massive chakra reserves.

I also learned of my chakra affinity. The first time I sent chakra through one of those chakra papers, I got some interesting results. The paper split in half with one sharp, clean cut, one of the halves turned into pure water, and the other half spontaneously combusted. From what Haran-jiji told me, my chakra affinities were Fuuton (Wind Release), Suiton (Water Release), and Katon (Fire Release). The Fuuton from my father, the Suiton from my mother, and the Katon from, strangely enough, the Kyuubi. After learning of my affinities, I learned a multitude of awesome jutsus from the scrolls I had on me, Kami bless Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones). And with the help of Haran-jiji and Qrow-sensei, along with the Dust crystals that I had acquired, I was able to make two weapons, both very unique. Strapped to my back, was a near perfect version of an all-so familiar blade that I had seen only once before. From the mission to Wave Country, I had made a near replica of Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife). But unlike the original, it has a few more add-ons. Spending over six months forging this blade alone, but it was worth it. After all, combining chakra metal, Dust crystals, and titanium I had "acquired" isn't exactly an easy task. The blade itself was at least seven feet in length, handle and blade together, and had an orange line running through the sword and the edges of the circle at the top. The blade didn't have the regenerative ability of the original, but Haran-jiji had engraved regenerative seals that only required chakra to use, added with the fact that it could control the elements of Dust, it certainly was a magnificent sword.

Strapped to the left of my waist was a tantō (short blade) that was made of a fusion of chakra metal and titanium. And finally, I had two gun holsters, each on one side of my waist, and each held an onyx black .45 Fletcher with an orange line running along both sides of the guns. It was made from a chakra metal and titanium mix that made it so instead of using regular bullets, I could shoot out shots of condensed chakra, saving lead bullets and magazines. And ever since my changes, Yang had begun flirting with me much like Anko-neesan would, and Ruby had this constant blush on her face much like Hinata used to, maybe she had a fever.

Speaking of people from Konoha, every now and then I get letters from Ero-Sennin via Gamakichi or Gamatatsu, the last one I got stating that they finally added Tsunade-baachan's face to the side of the Hokage Mountain. Of course, I send letters back. Though I try to keep my location hidden, I have told him that I'm safely beyond the Oki no Okunote (Ocean of Mystery).

I was shaken from my musings when I heard the sound of glass breaking. Looking up from my book in a Kakashi-like manner, I saw a red blur crash through the window of _From Dust Till Dawn_ tackling a man dressed in a black suit with red-tinted shades. Getting a better look at the red blur I saw, the person turned out to be female. She stood at 5'10, with a pale complexion, silver eyes, and black hair with red streaks. She was wearing a black outfit and skirt along with a red hood. And in her hands, was an all-so familiar red sniper-scythe, Crescent Rose.

"Hiya Ruby!" I yelled out to her. She turned to look at me and blushed a bit, did she have a fever again?

"Hi Naruto!" she yelled back. We were about to go into one of our usual conversations until we heard someone clear their throat to get our attention.

Standing in the area where Ruby crashed through the shop window, was Roman Torchwick, surrounded by several of his lackeys. A cigar was in his mouth and his cane-cannon was in his right hand.

"Flaky," I exclaimed cheerfully, successfully making his left eye twitch, "how ya doing!"

"Okay," he started, "get them, especially blonde,"

Half of his lackeys charged at me, while the other half attacked Ruby. Seeing as there were only seven charging at me, I brought out two of my items. In my right hand was the gun from my right holster, and in my left hand, I held _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, opened to the page I had left off on.

Thinking that they had the upper had, two of the lackeys charged at me. Not even looking up from my book, I shot out two bullets of condensed chakra, both hitting their desired targets. Seeing as there were still five left, I quickly disposed of them with five more bullets, instantly killing them. I looked up to see how Ruby was faring, and saw that she had taken out her enemies as well. Off to the side, climbing up a nearby ladder, Roman was escaping.

Grinning, I took off after him, Ruby not that far behind me. We climbed up the ladder, following the path that Roman took in his escape. On top of the roof of the building, I knew that he had some kind of escape plan, he wouldn't have made it this far in his villainous career if he got caught easily. As I prepared myself for what could happen, I heard a rumbling sound come from where Roman was.

"Persistent..." he says, as a getaway Bullhead rises up and opens its hatch to allow Roman inside.

"End of the line, Red, Blondie!" he exclaims smugly, throwing a red Dust crystal at Ruby, aiming his cane-cannon in our direction.

Just as the blast from the cane-cannon was about to impact, a blonde woman jumps in the way holding a wand of sorts. Waving it once in the air, a giant purple crystal seal of sorts appeared, blocking the shot from Roman's cane. After the smoke from the impact dissipated, I saw that the woman was wearing a female business suit and a purple cape, rectangular glasses, and had emerald-green eyes. Waving her wand-like object once again, this time, causing the purple crystals to form into several streaks that shot out at the Bullhead, causing the pilot to struggle with controlling the aircraft. She then shot out a purple ball of energy which caused storm clouds to form and rain down light blue crystals on the ship.

Standing in the area that Roman once stood on the ship, was a woman in red with black hair and orange eyes. The mysterious woman formed a fireball in her hand and shot it at the blonde woman, causing her to form a purple protective barrier around herself. The mysterious woman then formed a fire pillar underneath the woman she was attacking, causing the female blond to jump away before it struck. The blond woman then formed a crystal arrow and shot it at the Bullhead. The mystery woman kept firing fireballs at the crystal projectile, but it kept reforming. The Bullhead shifted down leftward, causing the arrow to bounce off the side of the aircraft, forming three streaks to attack the ship again. The mystery woman shot out a fire pulse of some kind, destroying the crystals.

Ruby shifted her Crescent Rose from a scythe into its sniper mode and shot at the mystery woman. Wanting to do my part, I grabbed the two guns I had on my personnel and shot at the woman as well. All of the shots were deflected by the woman's fire powers, eventually, she formed five fire pillars underneath our feet. I felt my body being pulled by some unknown force, narrowly evading the fire attacks. We watched as the ship flew away, I growled, knowing that Roman got away this time.

"You're a huntress," I hear Ruby say to the blond woman, "can I have your autograph!"

-The Dark Room Of Shame, Naruto's P.O.V.-

"I hope you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, you two. You both put yourself and others in great danger," the blond woman, now known to be Glynda, said.

"Well to be fair, they started it," I said.

"If it were up to me, you'd be sent home. With a pat on the back..." she started, I noticed Ruby started to smile, "... And a slap on the wrist,"

That last part she emphasized by swinging her wand at Ruby, who let out a small "Eeek!"

"But," she started, "there's someone here who would like to meet you, both of you,"

As soon as she finishes saying that, she moves out of the way to reveal a man with gray hair, shaded spectacles, a dark green scarf with a small purple cross-shaped emblem on it, an unzipped black suit, and brown eyes. In his hands he held a mug and a plate of cookies with... A RAMEN BOWL!

"Ruby Rose," the man starts, leaning in a bit as he continued talking, "you... have silver eyes,"

"Uh, um..." Ruby started, trying to come up with words.

"And you," he said, directed at me, "Naruto Uzumaki, I didn't believe what your file said, but apparently its true that you have whisker marks,"

"And?" I asked.

"So, where did you learn to to this?" he asked, gesturing to a screen that recorded our fight with Roman.

"S-Signal Academy," Ruby replies.

"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he stated more than asked.

"I'm more self-taught," I said.

"Well, one teacher in particular," Ruby says.

"I see..." the man said, placing down the plate with cookies and the bowl of ramen.

Whilst Ruby tentatively picks up one of the cookies and starts to eat them, faster than lightning, the bowl of ramen was in my hands and I was slurping away at the food of the gods.

"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before. A dusty, old crow..." the man states, after recovering from the surprise of the speed that I ate ramen.

"Mmmm! Thash muh unkul!" Ruby says with a mouthful of cookies, she shallows and wipes her mouth, embarrassingly, she continues, "Sorry, that's my uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal, I was complete _garbage_ before he took me under his wing. And now I'm all like- Hooowaaah! Witchaaaa!"

That last part she finished by making karate-style poses and noises.

"And what about you?" he asked me.

"Lots and LOTS of trial and error, a few times that one of my things blew up on me, eventually I got it down," I said, acting nonchalant.

"To the point that you can shoot without having to look at your targets?" he asked.

"Yep," I said, popping out the "p" in the word.

"And what are two doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"I'm going to be a Hunter," I said.

"Well... I want to be a Huntress," Ruby replied.

"You want to slay monsters?" the man asked.

"Yeah! I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I'm going to apply to Beacon!" she exclaimed excitedly, talking faster and faster, "You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress 'cause I wanna help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Hey I might as well make a career out of it!' I mean the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, _gosh_, you know!"

That was followed by a small pause, the man and Glynda analyzing us. After a few seconds, the man spoke again.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"You're Professor Ozpin, You're the headmaster at Beacon," Ruby said. The now identified Ozpin smiled.

"Hello," he said.

"Nice to meet you," Ruby says.

"Yo," I replied lazily, waving in a Kakashi-like manner.

"You two want to come to my school?" he asked.

"More than anything," Ruby said.

"Sure, sounds exciting," I replied.

After exchanging glances with Glynda, who showed a disapproving look, followed by a "Humph", Ozpin turned back to us.

"Well okay," he said.

I looked wide-eyed whilst Ruby looked like she had just hit the jackpot.

-Aboard the Airship to Beacon, Naruto's P.O.V.-

"Urrrggghhh," I said. Kami, I would never get used to these flying vehicles.

It was one thing to fly with chakra, it was another to trust someone else with flying you around in a big thing of metal.

"**Bwahahahahaha**," I heard the Kyuubi laugh at my misery.

'Oh shut up, furball,' I mentally said.

"**At least you aren't the only one who's suffering**," it pointed out.

I saw a blonde, shagy-haired man who looked like he wasn't an experienced warrior throw up on Yang's shoes.

"Gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross, gross," I heard Yang exclaim.

"Get- Get away! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby exclaimed shortly after Yang's statement.

I looked out the ship's window, smiling to myself.

'Look out Beacon, the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja is coming your way!' I mentally exclaimed, before my motion sickness kicked in again.

"Urrrggghhh" I said, comically falling over with steam coming from my mouth.

-Konoha Council Room, Third P.O.V.-

"Now that we're all here, let us begin the meeting," one Danzo Shimura said.

"I'd like to know what this meeting is about," Inoichi Yamanaka stated.

"I would like to know that as well," said Shikaku Nara.

"Its about the Kyuubi brat," Danzo replied.

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the insufferable civilian side of the council went into one of their self-induced fits of rage. After a minute of their "justifiable" complaints, the Hokage shut them up.

"Shut up!" Tsunade exclaimed, thoroughly pissed off.

"As I was saying," Danzo continued, "I think its time for Konoha to get its Jinchūriki back."

Chapter End

Omake- What Really Happened With Clone #10

I was walking around the school campus, according to what the white text in the bottom right part of my vision said. I saw a security guard walking around, and then suddenly have a comical exclamation point above his head.

"You're coming with me," the man said, "Press 'A' to continue,"

"What? Press 'A' to continue?"  
Suddenly everything went black, and then I was in a room with the security guard and another man.

"-And I found him wandering outside. Press 'A' to continue," the security guard said.

" 'A'?"

"Who is he?" the other man asked.

Suddenly a screen of sorts popped up with letters and other things, one thing I could figure out is that I had to enter my name.

"Naruto," I said.

"You have entered the name 'Douchebag', is that correct?" the man asked.

"No," I said.

"Are you sure you want to keep the name 'Douchebag'?"

"No!"

"This is your last chance, do you want to keep the name 'Douchebag'?"

"NO!"

"Welcome to Signal Academy, Mr. Douchebag,"

Omake End

* * *

**Post Notes-**

**I just had to put in that last part, I got the idea from the game South Park The Stick Of Truth. I hope you like it. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this latest installment of TMH, keep reading, reviewing, etc.**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage**


	4. Chapter 4- Welcome to Beacon!

**Author Notes**

**Yo, CrimsonKyuubiSage here, I'm back with chapter four of TMH. Hope you all like the story so far.**

**Now to answer some of the reviewers.**

**Ddragon21- Naruto should be around high A-rank to low S-rank. It's going to be Strong!Naruto in this fanfic, and maybe eventually through some sort of training he will officially become S-rank.**

**GreatZero- Exactly, Naruto's twin chakra pistols are Onyx Black .45 Fletchers from Saints Row IV.**

**SPark681- In this fanfic, Danzo won't be an old conceited bastard. Instead, he will be extremely patriotic. Like, extreme radicalist patriot anti-hero due to tragic events that led him to how he acts.**

**King of Bad Naming Sense- Danzo wasn't the one to find out that information. Jiraiya is in charge of the spy network, and this all happens before he dies. And besides, he has certain spies in certain places.**

**NexRed- Naruto will have motion sickness only on flying vehicles like the one that went from Signal to Beacon. This is mainly because of the cultural difference between the Elemental Nations and Remnant. Naruto, having only been on a flying ship back in Snow/Spring Country, most likely drugged, hasn't had that much experience in the air other than falling to the ground at high speeds.**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto, RWBY, or 'The Fox' by Ylvis. If I did, it would be an OP Naruto, not an OP Madara.**

* * *

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Beacon Academy Entrance, 10:00 A.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

Soon enough the ship docked at the entrance. The blond guy that threw up on Yang's shoes was the first off of the ship, followed by nearly everyone else. From the view of the floor, even with the puffs of smoke coming from my mouth, I could see Yang and Ruby standing over me.

"Urrrggghhh," I groaned out. The two sisters giggled and Yang brought out a camera seemingly from nowhere.

Taking a photo of my misery, the two eventually helped me out of the flying metal death trap, after a minute of laughing. We were walking away from the ship and towards Beacon. I crossed my hands and pouted in a child-like manner, seeing as Ruby and Yang were still laughing.

"It's not that funny," I said. This only served to increase their laughter.

"Yes it is," Yang replied, "and now I have dirt on you,"

I saw her smirk and countered it with my own, seeing as she wasn't the only one with blackmail.

"Did you forget that I still have pictures from THAT," I said, her expression instantly turning from amusement to horror.

"You- You said that you got rid of all those photos," she said, slightly quivering in fear.

"I still have a few here and there," I countered, my smirk growing wider as I spoke.

"You wouldn't," she tried to reason.

"Try me," I said.

The world seemed to go silent as we got into one of our daily stare downs to see which of us would back down first. So far the score was

Naruto-561, Yang-356. Soon enough, Yang backed down and I tallied 562 to my score.

"Wow," I hear Ruby say as we got closer to Beacon Academy.

"The view from Vale's got nothing on this," Yang said.

"I'll say," I added.

I see Ruby start to eye weapons like a kid in a candy shop, and soon is launched after them, her sister Yang not so far behind her to make sure she doesn't go crazy. I sighed, even here, Ruby is still a weapon enthusiast. I looked around, looking for other familiar faces, when I see a familiar trio that I encountered in Signal, only this time, they weren't wearing school uniforms. To the left was the red-haired kid with the mokey tail, only he was wearing something similar to what I saw shinobi from Iwagakure wear. A one-strap flak jacket, a shirt with one long sleeve with the other short, and baggy pants, attatched to his sides were two revolvers with extended blades (FF Revolvers).

To the right was the really tall guy who had a horse tail, not much had changed besides him wearing a facemask, he wore red samurai armor along with a red straw hat, strapped to his back was a large double-edged axe-shotgun.

And in the middle was the girl with mint hair, it appeared she also had orange eyes. She was wearing a white shirt that showed off her belly button, along with a white skirt, she had some wierd looking tonfas at her side.

The trio seemed to notice me as the girl in the middle waved at me, I waved back and was about to head over to them when suddenly I heard something from behind me.

"KABOOM!" I turned around just in time to see an explosion of flames, snowflakes, and electricity. Also in time to have the front of my face turn into one of those blackened cartoonish faces.

I blinked once, twice, three times. What just happened?

Deciding not to think about it, I saw that the girl in white who was at the center of the explosion was walking away, and the blonde guy who threw up on the ship was helping Ruby up. I went over to the duo after the blonde guy helped Ruby up.

"What was that explosion?" I asked Ruby, she blushed out of embarrassment before replying.

"I sorta exploded," she said.

"Hey, I'm Jaune," the other blonde said.

"Naruto," I replied, shaking the hand extended to me by him.

-On Beacon Academy Campus, 10:25 A.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

"All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on," Jaune said.

"Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind," Ruby giggled. I myself was also chuckling.

"Oh yeah? What if I called you Crater Face? Or Whiskers?" Jaune countered, the last nickname directed at me. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" Ruby cried.

"Meh, I've heard worse," I said.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it," Jaune said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Do they?" Ruby asked as well, a bit skeptical.

"They will! Well, I- I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind," Jaune replied.

"Trust me, dude, it won't work," I told him.

"So... I got this thing!" Ruby says after a short silence, pulling out Crescent Rose and stabbing it into the ground.

"Whoa, is that a scythe?" Jaune asked.

"It's also a customizable high-impact sniper riffle," Ruby said proudly.

"A-wha...?" Jaune asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's also a gun," she explained.

"So, what've you got?" Ruby asked Jaune.

"Oh! I, uh..." Jaune fumbled, pulling out the blade at his side, "I got this sword,"

"Ooooohh!" Ruby says in fascination.

"Yeah, and I've got this shield, too," Jaune says, grabbing his scabbard as it transformed into a shield.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked.

"The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away..." Jaune says, transforming his shield back into a scabbard and placing it back at his side.

"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby questions.

"Yeah, it does..." Jaune says dejectedly, "So what about you Naruto?"

"Well, I got these," I said, referring to the two pistols holstered on my side, I pulled one out to examine.

"They don't use regular bullets," I said, aiming the gun at seemingly nothing, "they run on condensed energy that is shot out with a speed equivalent to that of, if not greater than a regular bullet would be,"

"Um..." Jaune said confused.

"It shoots energy," I stated simply. Putting the gun back in its holster, I grabbed the tantō on my side from its sheath and held the blade out for examination.

"This here is my tantō, it's meant for close combat and I can channel elements through it," I explained, after that I sheathed the short blade and grabbed the cleaver from my back.

"And this, this is my greatest creation," I said, hoisting the blade onto my shoulder, "it's meant for brute force, like my tantō I can also channel the elements through this, and a little extra,"

"What do you mean by that?" Jaune asked.

"That's..." both Jaune and Ruby leaned in to hear what I had to say, "a secret,"

Both facefaulted at that, causing me to give them the patented Kakashi eye smile.

"So," Ruby starts, having gotten over her facefault, "did you forge them yourself,"  
"Of course," I replied.

"Wait - you made these?!" Jaune exclaims in disbelief.

"All students at Signal make their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?" Ruby asked.

"It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war," Jaune says.

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me! Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days," Ruby says.

"Yeah, the classics," Jaune says, sheathing his sword.

We started walking again, not really knowing where we were headed.

"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" Ruby asks Jaune.

"Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'strangers are just friends you haven't met yet'," Jaune replies.

"Hey, where are we going?" Ruby asks, realizing we were lost.

"Um... I don't know," I replied.

"I was following you guys," Jaune adds, "y-you think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?"

"That's a 'no'," Ruby says, slightly laughing.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'.

-Konoha Mission Room, Third P.O.V.-

Back in Konoha, three years had passed since the Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja was exiled. His exile had lasted only two years, and Naruto was expected to return to Konoha and reinstated as a shinobi. Only one problem with that, he didn't return like expected. But they waited, and waited, and waited, but to no avail, as he had not returned. It hadn't effected the civilian side of the council, but Danzo and the shinobi side were concerned. Konoha's Jinchūriki, as Danzo liked to call Naruto, wasn't in Konoha. They didn't even know where he was, except for a few rumours of an orange blur headed in the direction of Wave Country, but that was over three years ago. However, a new rumor on the orange-loving blonde was confirmed true by one of Jiraiya's spies.

Right now, if one were to look inside the Konoha Mission Room, they would see a group of people being addressed by the Hokage and her advisors. There were nine people in total being addressed, all ranked chūnin or above.

Starting from left to right, there was a girl with her hair up in Chinse-style buns, she had steel-grey eyes and wore a long-sleeved white blouse with a high collar and red fastener, puffy pants that look like a hakama, with the exposed parts of her legs near the waist covered in bandages, and on her back was a large scroll.

Next to her was a man that wore a green jumpsuit, orange leg warmers, a zipped-up dark green Konoha flak jacket, bandages were wrapped up around his hands, and a red belt with the Konoha symbol around his waist, he had black bowl-cut hair and thick eyebrows.

To his right was a fair skinned man with long dark brown hair and white pupilless eyes, he wore a white robe with loose sleeves, a dark navy grey apron tied around his waist, and black shinobi sandals.

Next to him was a brown-eyed man with spicky hair similar to that of a pineapple, he wore a flak jacket along with a long-sleeved black shirt and pants, on the left sleeve of his shirt was a metal plate with the Konoha symbol etched on it.

To his right was a man with a robust physique, long spicky brown hair, and black eyes, he wore a red suit with armor with a flak jacket on top, he wore a red Konoha headband on top of his head.

Next to him was a girl with light-blue eyes and blonde hair that was tied up in a high-ponytail with one flattened bang covering her right eye, she wore a short purple sleeveless blouse along with an open-front purple apron-skirt over a black skirt and short fishnet shorts.

Next to her was a leather form fitting black jacket, black pants, shinobi sandals, and headband. With him was a large white fur dog that was the size of a small horse.

To the right of the dog, was a girl with dark-blue waist-length hair, fair skin, and white pupilless eyes. Her outfit consisted of a long-sleeved zip-up lavender and cream jacket, navy blue pants, and low-heeled sandals.

Finally, at the end was a tall man wearing black glasses and a knee-length jacket with a hood covering most of his face.

The nine shinobi were nine of what was known as the Rookie Eleven. In order of their descriptions, Tenten, Lee, Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Kiba and Akamaru, Hinata, and Shino.

"You have all been called here for an S-rank retrieval mission," Tsunade said, addressing the nine shinobi in front of her.

"S-rank retrieval mission?" Kiba asked, "who would be so hard to retrieve that the mission is S-rank?"

"You know who, we all do," Tsunade replied, causing the nine to either gasp in surprise, have their eyes widen, or both. There was one person they all knew to be missing.

"Naruto," Hinata gasped. Her former crush had dissapeared over three years ago, and had not been heard of since. Which considering how Naruto was, everyone found odd. Many had feared he was killed or worse, captured by the Akatsuki.

"Yes," Danzo, one of the Hokage's advisors, replied, "according to Jiraiya-san's spy network, the Akatsuki are making their move in capturing the Jinchūriki,"  
"Your mission is to find and escort Naruto back to Konoha. Failure is not an option," Tsunade finished in a serious tone.

"In addition to your retrieval team, you will be accompanied by two of my best men," Danzo added, "Yamato and Sai,"

"What?! Why should we even bring your Root ANBU along with us?" Kiba exclaimed outraged.

"Yamato has the ability of the Shodaime Hokage (First Hokage), Mokuton (Wood Release). And Sai has the ability of the Bokuton (Ink Release). Both are very adept in their abilities," Danzo explained, his eyes slightly narrowing.

"Focus," Tsunade said, "from what we've discovered, Naruto went in the direction of Wave 'll start your search from there and so on, good luck. And bring back Naruto,"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," was said by the nine as they walked out the room.

"Hokage-sama, might I ask why you didn't send the other members of Team 7 as well?" Danzo asked.

"You and I both know that they'd charge straight on if they found out it was Naruto, at least the rest of the Rookie Eleven would retain their common sense," Tsunade replied.

"I see..." Danzo said.

'I hope you're fine Naruto, wherever you are.' Tsunade thought.

-Naruto's Dream World, Time: Unknown, Naruto's P.O.V.-

I had just fallen asleep, after finding where the orientation was and just in time to hear Ozpin's speech towards this year's Freshmen. We then were told that we would all rest in the room we were currently in.

And so, I fell asleep as usual. Only this time, I didn't have the same dreams I usually had. No, this wasn't my usual dream where a giant bowl of ramen did the Caramelldansen.

In front of me, was pitch black. Nothing else other than glowing crystals of all colors and two fireballs that were blue and red. Suddenly, lightning struck out of nowhere, flashing every now and then, revealing certain images that I couldn't comprehend. The images I saw, though I couldn't clearly see what was happening, were of two small white blurs, one surrounded by a rainbow of colors, the other by red and blue. And above them, was a giant red eye, it was the only thing I could see clearly, it had four rings that went from the center pupil along with nine tomoe. When I stared at it, I was filled with fear as if I was looking at something worse than death. Suddenly, the one red eye turned into two purple eyes with four rings in each and no tomoe. Unlike the one red eye, which was filled with rage, these eyes felt calm.

"You will face many trials, young one," a mysterious deep male voice said, "but above all, you must break the cycle."

And with that, my dream got even weirder.

-Beacon Academy, 7:42 A.M., Naruto's P.O.V.-

I woke up from my strange dream, feeling refreshed for the rest of the day. Blinking a few times, I saw that an enthusiastic orange haired girl was talking with a guy who had a highlight of magenta in his hair. I stretched out a bit, my fox ears and tail slightly twitching. Today was initiation, many people were wondering who they'll be teamed with. Me, I wasn't worried at all. Hopefully I would be teamed up with Ruby or Yang or some other nice people and not some arrogant jerks. I already dealt with Sasuke, I don't need to deal with a Sasuke 2.0.

I packed a sleeping bag that everyone was given for the first night, ate the cafeteria pancakes for breakfast, and brushed my teeth. All the while that cheerful orange-haired girl was talking to the guy with the magenta highlight. That all took about an hour to do. I didn't have to go to the weapons locker room, considering I had my weapons sealed onto my personnel.

"How did you get your weapons? I didn't see you go to the weapons locker room," Jaune asked me as we walked to the designated area Professor Ozpin told all freshmen to go to.

"Trade secret," I said, slightly smirking.

-Emerald Forest Cliffside, 9:10 A.M.-

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin stated.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today," Glynda added.

"What? Ohhh..." I heard Ruby murmur in concern.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well," Ozpin said, hearing this Ruby groaned as did a few others.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years,"

"Whaaaat?!" Ruby exclaimed in panic.

"See? I _told_ you-!" the orange-haired girl started, Ozpin had cut her off before she could continue speaking.

"After you've been partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die." This caused Jaune to laugh nervously before gulping loudly.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must chose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir?" Jaune asked hesitantly, raising his hand.

"Good! Now, take your positions." Ozpin said.

I looked at my surroundings, seeing near the left end of the line we were all in was the girl with mint-green hair I saw earlier. Next to her was the monkey faunus and the horse faunus. Then there was the black-haired girl with a katana on her back and a bow in her hair, the white-haired girl with a rapier, the redhead girl holding a spear, a guy with a light-green mohawk, the cheerful orange-haired girl with a grenade launcher on her back, the guy with the magenta highlights was holding green pistol-knives in his hands, an arrogant light-brown haired man in armor, Yang, Ruby, Jaune, and finally at the end was me.

Everyone was getting in their fighting stances, except for Jaune who still had his hand raised. Soon enough, the mechanical platforms we were on started ejecting people into the forest, starting with the left.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um... a question," Jaune asks, not noticing that the number of students being ejected was increasing, "so, this landing... strategy thing... Uh, wha- what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No. You will be falling," Ozpin answered.

"Oh, uh, I see... So did you, like, hand out parachutes for us?" Jaune asked as more students were thrown into the forest.

"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy',"

"Uh-huh... Yeah," whilst Jaune was still talking, the orange-haired girl and the guy with the magenta highlight were launched into the forest.

"Woo-hoooooooo!" I heard Yang exclaim as she was launched into the air, followed by Ruby.

"So, what exactly is a landing strategYYY!..." Jaune exclaimed as he was launched into the air.

I looked ahead as I prepared myself for the launching. I smirk appeared on my face as I was launched.

"Let's do this, DattebAAAYYYOOO!" I exclaimed as I was finally launched.

As I was in midair, I was able to see Professor Ozpin standing there, watching us being launched whilst drinking his coffee.

-Unknown Location, Third P.O.V.-

"-Kakazu, you and Hidan will go after the Nibi Jinchūriki. Sasori, you and Deidara will go after the Ichibi Jinchūriki. And finally, Itachi, you and Kisame will go to the land beyond the Oki no Okunote and retrieve the Kyuubi Jinchūriki. Understood?" a mysterious figure said. What stood out about this silhouette was the purple-grey eyes that had four rings in them.

"Hai, leader-sama," was the chorus of responses.

One by one, the group of mysterious figures disappeared until there were four left. The one with the purple-grey eyes turned to one of the few remaining people left.

"And you're sure that the Kyuubi Jinchūriki is beyond the Oki no Okunote?" the figure asked.

"Are you questioning the extent of my knowledge?" the other mysterious figure threatened more than asked.

"No, but I'm curious as to how you know of this land beyond the Oki no Okunote,"

"Humph, I've seen many things in my lifetime, Nagato. Is that all?"

"Yes Madara-sama,"  
"Good." And with that, two more of the mysterious figure disappeared. Leaving only two.

"You know he can't be trusted Nagato,"

"I know, Konan, but we have to for now,"

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, The Rest of Naruto's Wierd Dream, Naruto's P.O.V.-

_**(Insert 'The Fox' by Ylvis)**_

After my dream changed from those wierd purple eyes with the rings in them, my dream got even weirder.

I was standing in the middle of a Victorian-style ballroom. And in front of me was quite the sight.

The horse faunus guy was wearing a tuxedo and a fake horse head.

The girl with mint-green hair had a black party gown and party mask on.

The monkey faunus was wearing some sort of zip-up monkey pyjamas that had a little hood with monkey ears.

The orange haired girl was in a female version of the Mad Hatter's outfit.

The pale-skinned girl with white hair was in a Snow White costume.

The girl who had black hair with a hair bow was wearing a black cat costume with three whisker marks and a cat nose drawn on her face.

The redhaired girl was wearing some type of Roman Legion/Spartan armor.

The guy with long black hair that had a magenta highlight in it was wearing Chun Li's outfit, the only reason I knew that was because of this one time I went to the arcade with Ruby and Yang.

Yang was wearing an outfit similar to Goldilocks's outfit.

Ruby was dressed like Little Red Riding Hood.

Jaune was in a knight's armor.

And for some reason, there was a guy in a banana suit and sombrero with a fancy mustache.

They all formed a semicircle around a fox with nine tails and rabbit ears that was standing on its hind legs.

Suddenly, music started playing and the fox, which oddly resembled the Kyuubi, started singing.

_Dog goes woof_

_Cat goes meow_

_Bird goes tweet_

_and mouse goes squeak_

_Cow goes moo_

_Frog goes croak_

_and the elephant goes toot_

_Ducks say quack_

_and fish go blub_

_and the seal goes ow ow ow ow ow_

_But there's one sound_

_That no one knows_

_What does the fox say?_

_Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!_  
_Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!_

_Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!_

_What the fox say?_

Once the singing fox got to the chorus, he started breakdancing along with everyone else.

_Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!_

_Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!_

_Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!_

_What the fox say?_

At this part, everyone was dancing like they were in a rave, save for the breakdancing fox.

_Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!_

_Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!_

_Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!_

_What the fox say?_

_Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!_

_Tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!_

_Joff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!_

_What the fox say?_

The Kyuubi stopped breakdancing and just danced like in that music video 'The Fox'.

_Big blue eyes_

_Pointy nose_

_Chasing mice_

_and digging holes_

_Tiny paws_

_Up the hill_

_Suddenly you're standing still_

_Your fur is red_

_So beautiful_

_Like an angel in disguise_

_But if you meet_

_a friendly horse_

_Will you comunicate by_

_mo-o-o-o-orse?_

_mo-o-o-o-orse?_

_mo-o-o-o-orse?_

At this verse, the Kyuubi and the horse faunus started dancing in the center of the semicircle.

_How will you speak to that_

_ho-o-o-o-orse?_

_ho-o-o-o-orse?_

_ho-o-o-o-orse?_

_What does the fox say?_

Then, everyone started dancing like before once the chorus started.

_Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!_

_Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow!_

_Chacha-chacha-chacha-chow!_

_What the fox say!_

_A-hee-ahee ha-hee!_

_A-hee-ahee ha-hee!_

_A-hee-ahee ha-hee!_

_What the fox say?_

_A-oo-oo-oo-ooo!_

_Woo-oo-oo-ooo!_

_What does the fox say?_

_The secret of the fox_

_Ancient mystery_

_Somewhere deep in the woods_

_I know you're hiding_

_What is your sound?_

_Will we ever know?_

_Will always be a mystery_

_What do you say?_

_You're my guardian angel_

_Hiding in the woods_

_What is your sound?_

_(Wa-wa-way-do Wub-wib-bid-dum-way-do_

_Wa-wa-way-do)_

_Will we ever know?_

_(Bay-budabud-dum-bam)_

_I want to_

_(Mama-dum-day-do)_

_I want to_

_I want to know!_

_(Abay-ba-da bum-bum bay-do)_

When the song ended, everyone struck a pose as the lights faded out, before I woke up, I heard the fox speak.

"**Words cannot describe how ridiculous you made me look, kit**." Kyuubi groaned in annoyance.

Suddenly, I woke from my dream. Blinking a few times, I thought about the dream I just had last night.

'What the heck was the point of that dream? It wasn't even a ramen-filled dream!'

* * *

**Post Notes**

**And done! Chapter four is complete. As I was writing this chapter, I came up with the omake when I listened to part of 'The Fox' song by Ylvis. Then I thought about Kurama, and how weird a breakdancing fox would be. So, I came up with the idea of a strange dream/hallucination that ended with Naruto's friends and Kurama dancing to 'The Fox'. Hope you like it.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading the latest chapter, continue reading, reviewing, favoriting, etc. and I'll keep bringing new chapters.**

**CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	5. Chapter 5- The Emerald Forest Part 1

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeellllooo! CrimsonKyuubiSage here, bringing you Chapter Five of The Maelstrom Hunter!**

**Now onto answering some reviews.**

**Guest (As of May 11 entry)- Out of all the guesses at the backstory, you've been the closest. But no...**

**Ints- All shall be explained in Origins... It may seem like a plot convenience that the Akatsuki can locate Naruto, but there is a reason for that.**

**LS14- Yes, the Konoha Council banished him, and yes, that means he can't come back ever. But remember, this is the civilian side of the council we're talking about, of course they wouldn't consider your point that they banished him for life. They're a bunch of stubborn, *ahem*, elected officials (Kiss Ass Whining Brats). And the Danzo of this story will be Gray!Anti-hero!Danzo. Tsunade would use any excuse, even the incompetence of the council, to get her favorite lovable gaki back. As for Ino, after Sasuke's attempt at defection, Naruto's banishment, and a hell of a thrashing both physically and mentally by her senseis Asuma and Tsunade (Yes, she's an Iryonin alongside Sakura and Hinata), most of her fangirlish tendencies were lost, minus her gossiping and shopping, but that doesn't technically count under fangirl tendencies.**

**Cheesy puff cake- When Naruto encounters the Rookie 11, and he WILL eventually (I'm planning on making that an arc), and they try to take him back to Konoha, he won't say it like that, but nonetheless, he will in some form say "F*** that, I'm not going back to that hellhole just because some whining brats on the council aren't happy their precious "weapon" isn't currently kissing the ground they walk on," or something along those lines.**

** \- Like I said to Ints, [Pause For Dramatic Effect] All shall be explained in Origins... [Backs away slowly into the shadows] Mwahahaha, MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Mwahahahaha- OW! [Crashes into a table, knocking over a vase].**

**Morgen- Sasuke won't follow his brother, no, they'll meet up by the power of the greatest weapon a fanfic writer has... PLOT CONVENIENCE!**

**Karlos1234ify- Of course Naruto won't forgive Konoha at the drop of a hat. Hell, his once brother-in-all-but-blood bond with Sasuke was shattered once he tried killing him, and Sakura isn't his love interest anymore, not after the events of Chapter One.**

**And now, without any further delay, I give you Chapter Five of TMH!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

Chapter Start

-Emerald Forest, Third P.O.V.-

The forest seemed calm, it was an early morning. The sun had just come up the horizon, the morning dew still clung to patches of grass as the forest appeared to gleam a shiny green, much like the color of an emerald, hence the name of the forest.

A black bird was chirping, out in the sky flying. The time of day, added with the position of lighting, gave the bird a majestic look to it.

Suddenly, a red and black blur zipped right through the black bird as it gave a final shriek and was replaced with a burst of feathers.

"Birdie, no!" Ruby cried out as she fell down into the forest.

As she was falling she fired off a few rounds from her scythe, Crescent Rose, in an attempt to slow her fall speed. Seeing that she had yet to slow down to an appropriate speed, she changed Crescent Rose out of its sniper form into a giant red scythe and caught the blade on one of the tree's branches.

At the same time, the white-haired girl, whose name was found to be Weiss Schnee, hopped from a white snowflake she had summoned with her rapier.

The black-haired boy with the magenta highlight, Lie Ren, descended whilst spinning in the air and used his twin trench knife-pistols to spiral down the trunk of a large tree and hit the ground. Brushing the dust off his clothes, he looked up just in time to see the yellow blur that was Yang flying through the air.

"Woo-hooo! Yeah! Ally-oop!" Yang exclaimed as she flew through the air.

Using her dual ranged shot gauntlets, Ember Celica, to shoot herself further and further north until she finally crashed through the leaves of a tree, only to leap from two trunks and tumble to the ground.

"Nailed it!" she exclaimed.

The girl with red hair that wore Spartan-like armor, Pyrrha Nikos, had just landed on a high tree branch. Switching her weapon from a blade into a riffle, she looked through the scope and evaluated her surroundings. Off in the distance, Pyrrha saw a flailing Jaune screaming as he fell helplessly.

Switching her riffle once again, only this time into a spear, she pulled her right hand back ready to throw the spear whilst her left hand was used to aim her throw. It only took a moment for her to aim until she threw the spear across the air.

"_THUNK!_" was the resonating sound of said spear impaling itself into a tree.

"Thank you!" Jaune cried out in the distance.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha replied whilst waving.

The monkey faunus had landed on a tree branch, and in a feat that normally seemed impossible, jumped from the branch to another nearly half a kilometer away and kept on doing the same thing until he landed on the ground below.

The horse faunus was hopping from tree branch to tree branch. After jumping roughly a kilometer north, he suddenly jumped from the branch he was on to the ground below, creating a spider web crater as he impacted against the ground.

"About time you got here," the monkey faunus said.

"Oh shut up Roshi, you aren't exactly the easiest person to find," the now identified Roshi just scoffed in annoyance, "did you find Fu?"

"I was able to sense her near the other one," Roshi replied.

"That seems coincidental, don't you think?" the horse faunus asked.

"I've seen many things Han, and I've learned from experience that people like us just seem to be trouble magnets."

-With Ruby, Ruby's P.O.V.-

'Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang, gotta find Yang, gotta find...' I thought as she frantically searched for her sister.

"Yang! _Yaaaang_!" I exclaimed, hoping that she was nearby.

'Oh, this is bad, this is really bad! What if I can't find her?' I thought. If I couldn't find her in time, I had to consider my other options.

'Well, there's Jaune. He's nice. He's funny!' I considered, 'I don't think he's very good in a fight, though.'

A mental image of a cartoon version of Jaune came to mind fighting Beowolves, it didn't end very well for him as he was assaulted by the Beowolves.

'Ooh! What about Blake?! So mysterious, so calm... Plus she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her... Ugh!'

Another mental image came to mind, only this time it was a cartoon version of Blake. She was walking away from a cartoon version of me as I talked to her whilst she moved further away from me.

'Then there's Naruto,' I thought, a small noticeable blush appearing on my face. If I couldn't find Yang, maybe I'd find Naruto.

'Yeah, me and Naruto. Maybe if we're on the same team will get even closer and then...'

I shook my head of the daydreams, I was going off track with my train of thought.

'Okay... Who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Naruto, Jaune, Blake, aaaand...'

Time seemed to slow down as I skidded to a hault as I approached a clearing with a familiar girl with white hair and a rapier. I stopped just in time for our eyes to meet, followed by a pregnant pause. Her eyes were light blue and had a cold, calculating feel to them.

All of a sudden, Weiss turns on her heel and walks away from me. Shaken out of my musings, I moved forward a bit.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" I exclaimed, I stopped and kicked the ground slightly dejected, "We're supposed to be teammates..."

I followed Weiss for another few meters before we heard another voice.

"Come on, come on! Stupid...!" I heard Jaune exclaim as he struggled to free himself from the spear lodged in his hood.

As he saw Weiss, he gave an embarrassed wave. Weiss simply headed back in the direction she came from, causing Jaune to groan in dejection.

"By no means does this make us friends," she stated as she dragged me by my hood.

"You came back!" I exclaimed cheerfully.

-With Jaune, Third P.O.V.-

"Wait! Come back! Who's going to get me down from here?!" Jaune exclaimed as the two girls went further and further away from him.

"Jaune?" came a female voice from below him. Jaune looked down to see the owner of the spear that was currently embedded in his hood, Pyrrha, looking up at his predicament.

"Do you... have any spots left on your team?" the redheaded girl asked.

"Very funny..." Jaune said, crossing his arms. Eventually looking down at her and gave a smile, which she returned.

-Emerald Forest Cliffside-

Here we find two people standing on the cliff, Glynda and Ozpin. The latter taking a sip of his coffee as he looked at his tablet that shown each student during their initiation. Nothing said a good morning like a cup of Espresso and launching your students into a forest filled with deadly monsters. Of course, that's not to say that the instructors on the ground wouldn't assist if necessary, as they didn't want any of the students actually dead before they graduated.

All was quite as the duo watched the students search for partners and head towards the northern ruins of the forest, until suddenly a beeping sound was heard from one of the commlinks the instructors all had. The only time one of those went off was if a student wasn't able to pass initiation, or...

"What is it?" Ozpin asked as he held his index and middle fingers on his left hand to his ear, which held his commlink.

"Sir! Something's happened!" a frantic voice of an instructor yelled through the link.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Ozpin asked calmly.

"There's an unknown signature that appeared in the forest's scanning area!" hearing this, Ozpin raised his left brow in confusion.

"It could be just a flying type Grimm," Ozpin countered.

"No, you don't understand. When I say it appeared in the forest, I mean it literally just appeared right in front of me!"

Both Glynda and Ozpin's eyes widened at that. It's not everyday that an unknown signature appeared in the forest they know like the back of their hand(s).

"Can you give us a clear visual of the creature?" Glynda asked.

"Yeah, I think I can... Give me a second," the man said. Soon enough, a larger screen popped up from the center of the screens that shown the students.

The image shown was a camera with a few leaves at the bottom of the screen. What was the main focus of their attention was the creature they were seeing. The creature had a long, dark purple serpent-like body, yet it resembled a leech. The fact that it's body wasn't a midnight black like all other Grimm was odd in itself. It also had five red hair-like strands sprouting from its face, and it had a Noh mask on its face with a weird symbol that wasn't recognizable.

"What- What is that thing?" Glynda asked worriedly.

"I don't know... It- It looks like some sort of leech or- or maybe a serpent."

Suddenly, the leech started to sniff around, as if it were searching for something. After sniffing the air for thirty seconds, it took off in a general direction.

"Sir! The beast is..."  
"It's headed north," Ozpin finished.

"But the only thing that's north is..." Glynda started, eyes slightly widened by the end of her statement.

"Sir, just give the order and I can-"

"No, we cannot interfere unless it succeeds in attacking the students."

'Hopefully it won't come to that...' Ozpin thought as he watched the beast's retreating form.

-Emerald Forest, Naruto's P.O.V.-

I landed on a high branch after making my landing, pushing chakra into my feet as I jumped from branch to branch, each one descending to the ground until finally I landed on the ground itself. Looking around at my surroundings, I saw I was in a small clearing with a few patches of grass lying around, the vast green extended out into the distant horizon.

'Hey Kyuubi, can you sense anyone nearby?' I mentally asked the Kyuubi, I learned over the years that since the Kyuubi shared senses with me, it can also sense out energy signatures.

"**Yeah sure, whatever. Just give me a sec**," the Kyuubi responded.

It took a few moments before I got a response.

"**Head north-by-northeast, I sense an energy signature there**."

Nodding my head, I headed in the direction the Kyuubi told me, and soon enough I came across another person. A familiar face.

"Yo!" I yelled, it was the girl who had the mint green hair. I gave her a lazy wave as she saw me.

"Hey! You're aren't you the guy who had the motion sickness?" she asked, which made me facefault.

"At least I didn't throw up," I countered.

"So," I started, deciding to change the subject, "I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki"

"Nice to meet you," she stated, "I'm Fu,"  
"Likewise," I said. I looked north, attempting to see any signs of the ruins we were told to go to.

"We should probably start heading north," I stated, beginning to walk north.

"Yeah,"

We started walking north, an awkward silence between us for most of the journey.

"So, what kind of weapons do you got there?" I asked her, attempting to break the awkward silence.

"Well, these two are tonfa-gun hybrids," she replied, pulling out her weird looking tonfas, "what about you?"

"Well, I got these guns and two blades," I simply stated, nudging to my blades at my side and on my back and the guns in my hands.

"Do they transform into anything?" she asked.

"No, but they can control the elements," I replied.

"..."

"..."

Neither of us talked, this would be a looonnng journey.

-With Yang, Third P.O.V.-

Here we find Yang searching for her sister, poking through the bushes in a curious manner.

"Helloooooooo?" she called out, "Is anyone out there? Helloooo? I'm getting bored here!"

Suddenly there was a rustling noise coming from the bushes behind her.

"Is someone there?" she called out in an attempt to get an answer. Soon enough she pokes her head through the source of the noise.

"Ruby, is that you?"

The response she got was a low, inhuman growl as she raised her head to look at the source of the sound.

"Nope!"

Yang quickly rolls to the side as an Ursa charges out of the green. She gets up and activates her Ember Celica, staring at the monster before another Ursa runs out behind her. She leaps over it, and its companion runs at her again, only to get knocked back by a fiery punch. The other Ursa and Yang charge at each other, and Yang manages to get under it and deliver several punches and a kick to send the creature back.

"You guys wouldn't have happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" she asked, the Ursi merely growled at her, "You could just say 'no'."

Suddenly, one of the Ursi stands on its legs and swipes at her twice, Yang barely dodging the attacks. After dodging the attacks, she merely laughed.

"Geeeez, you two couldn't hit the broad side of a ba..."

Before she could complete her insult towards the beasts, a single strand of her golden hair falls in front of her face and lands on the forest floor. If there was one thing that a person should always remember around Yang, it's to NOT cut her hair.

"You..." she started, her eyes being covered by the shadow cast down by her hair, and her hair splitting into nine different clusters that seemed to float around despite gravity, only for her to look up, her once violet eyes now red and filled with rage, "You monsters!"

An inferno surrounds Yang for a moment, and she rockets forward, unleashing a devastating combo of flaming hits and blows on the offending Ursa, making it fly through several burning trees. The other monster runs over, but stops short at Yang's gaze while a tree falls to the ground behind her.

"What! You want some, too?!" Yang yelled at the petrified beast. No matter what species the saying always goes, 'hell hath no furry like a woman scorned'.

The Ursa prepared to strike, but suddenly a whirling noise was heard from behind the beast and it makes a befuddled noise, falling down a second later to reveal Blake with her katana, Gambol Shroud, in the beast's back.

Yang pants in exhaustion while Blake recalled her weapon back to her hand, sheathing it on her back and smiled to the side. Yang, her eyes now back to their usual violet, only scoff.

"I could've taken him."

-With Ruby and Weiss-

"What was _that_?! That should've been easy!" Ruby exclaimed, both her and Weiss having recently escaped an encounter with a pack of Beowolves.

"Well perhaps if you had exercised even the _slightest_ amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!" Weiss countered, causing Ruby to scoff.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby cried out.

"I'm surprised someone who talks so _much_ would communicate so _little_ during an encounter!"

"Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just _fine_ on my own!"

"Well, congratulations on being the strongest _child_ to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo!"

Weiss started walking away yet again. Ruby, with an agitated shriek, unfolds Crescent Rose, slices a tree down to the stump, refolds it back, and follows her partner as the tree crashes behind her. Neither noticing the large dark feather floating onto the fallen trunk behind them.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Pyrrha and Jaune made their way north. As they walked, Jaune hears a noise far away.

"Did you hear that?" Jaune asked his partner.

"Gunfire. It seems some of our comrades have encountered the enemy," Pyrrha replied.

The two continued moving forward, Jaune still staring at the direction the sound came from and not noticing Pyrrha raise a branch to pass by. Said branch is accidentally released just in time to hit Jaune in the face, flooring him instantly.

"Jaune! I'm sorry!" Pyrrha exclaims as she looked behind to see him get hit by the branch.

"It's okay. Just a scratch!" Jaune said lightheartedly, getting back up from his fall as Pyrrha approached him.

"Why didn't you activate your Aura?" Pyrrha asked.

"Huh?" Jaune replied, not entirely sure on what the answer to her question was.

"Your Aura," Pyrrha clarified.

"Gesundheit," Jaune replied.

"Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?" Pyrrha asked.

"Psch! Of course I do! Do _you_ know what Aura is?" Jaune countered, waving the question off and avoiding eye contact.

-With Ren [Insert Jaune and Pyrrha Voice Over]-

Here we find a male teenager with long black hair with a magenta streak in it, tied up in a ponytail, wearing a dark green, diagonally-buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat with black and gold trimming. Currently, we find said person, Lie Ren, trekking through the forest's tall grass.

"_Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It bears our burdens and shield our hearts. Have you ever felt you were being watched without knowing that someone was there?_" the voice of Pyrrha asked Jaune.

At the same time she asked him that question, Ren sneezed for no apparent reason.

"_Uh... yeah_."

Ren suddenly stops and narrows his eyes, looking around him while a huge black Grimm serpent rises up from the grass behind him and quickly surrounds him with its large, hissing body. Ren adopts a sighting stance as the snake coils together in front of him and attacks with its long fangs.

"_With practice, our Aura can be our shield. Everyone has it, even animals_." Pyrrha said as she walked around Jaune.

"_What about monsters?_" Jaune asked.

"_No. The monsters we fight lack a soul. They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity_." Pyrrha replied.

Meanwhile, Ren was fighting the snake-like creature. The snake's mouth hit the ground as it tried to attack Ren, instantly coming up again as Ren leapt out of its way and hitting said person with its snout. He landed in a crouch and brought out his StormFlower as the serpent prepared to attack again.

"_They are the darkness, and we are the light_." Pyrrha finished.

"_Right, that's why we fight them_!" Jaune exclaimed as Ren kicked the snake's snout and slashed at its head.

"_It's not about why; it's about knowing_."

The snake flows around Ren and tries to bite him again, but he flips over it and drives his weapons into its head, pausing a moment without sensing the serpent's white head behind him.

"_Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both_."

Ren turns and looks up at the white head as it launches itself at him, dodging it and landing just in time to see the head slither towards him. As it gets closer, he runs at it and leaps onto the black head, sliding over its body and blasting the other head.

"_By baring your soul outward as a force, you can deflect harm. All of our tools and equipment are conduits for Aura. You protect yourself and your soul when fighting_." Pyrrha continued.

Ren was caught unprepared as the white half attacked him, hitting his head and knocking him off as he dropped his weapons, and leaving him to merely raise his arms and distantly cry _"No!"_ to the mouth of the black head.

"_It's like a forcefield_!" Jaune said in revelation.

"_Yes, if you want to look at it that way_." Pyrrha replied.

Ren is now holding the front fangs of the colossal snake in his hands, glowing a faint, pulsating pink as he grips the teeth and yanks them from the monster's mouth, causing it to flail away. It attempts to bite him again, but Ren spins to the side and stabs a fang into its eye, rotating his arm to deliver a final blow that drives the makeshift weapons= into its skull, which ripples, expands, and blows apart in a dark mess as its headless body falls over its fellow creature. Wasting no time, Ren runs right at the white head.

-Back With Jaune and Pyrrha-

"Now, close your eyes and concentrate." Pyrrha told Jaune, walking up to him and touching the side of his head.

"Uhh... Okay." Jaune complied.

Pyrrha smiled and closed her own eyes, opening them as her skin glows and her irises shrink before shutting them again. The two stood there, now with Pyrrha glowing a faint red and Jaune a bright white.

'For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death.' Pyrrha mentally said as she placed her hand on his chest.

'I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.' she finished, her red glow disappearing and hunching over in tiredness.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked in concern, still glowing.

"It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours but the energy that protects you now is your own," she replied as she got back up, grinning as she watched the scratch close up and vanish, "You have a lot of it,"

"Wow.." Jaune said, smiling and looking at his hands as the glow disappeared.

After a minute, the two realized just how close their bodies were to each other. Both had a blush spread across their faces as they stood there just looking away from the other.

-Back With Ren-

At the same time, Ren stood atop of the body of his enemy, sliding the weapons into his sleeves and brushing them off before a strange, animal-like noise was heard above him twice.

Looking up he saw his childhood friend looking at him as she was upside-down, hanging from a low-lying tree branch.

"I still don't think that's what a sloth sounds like." Ren sighed, nevertheless smiling at her shenanigans.

In response, Nora gave him a _"Boop!"_ on the nose.

Side Story Start

The Maelstrom Hunter- Remnants of the Past

Part I- Princess Kaguya

Long ago, before the Shinobi World Wars, before the Faunus War, before the days of the Clan Wars, before the Days of Darkness, before those days, there was no Chakra or Aura in shinobi or hunters.

No, before those days, the earth was of one, unified land. United by the earth, but divided by conflict.

There were three main factions, each ruled by a different leader. Firstly, the oldest of the three factions was lead by King Arthur, who was a fair and just king to his people. Secondly, there was Pharaoh Scorpion, who was the warmonger of the three, having already conquered over the lands ruled by Hamurabi and by Qin Shi Huang, and was at war with the last two factions. And finally, the youngest of the three factions was led by Princess Kaguya, who was kind, yet ruled with an iron fist.

Now, as said before, there was a war between the factions, Pharaoh Scorpion fought against King Arthur and Princess Kaguya. The Pharaoh's armies had proven their worth in battle, defeating nearly all of Arthur and Kaguya's armies.

And now, said army was headed towards Princess Kaguya's capital city-state, Kyoto. What made the situation more grim was the fact that Kaguya's army was outnumber, for every one soldier Kaguya had, there were twenty of Scorpion's.

But, desperate times call for desperate measures. As here we find the pale skinned, red haired Shinto Princess at the base of a divine being. The origin of this being is unknown, only known by the elder advisors of King Arthur, who are very unsure of its origins themselves.

But what is known is that said divine being took the form of a massive tree. Its trunk spanning ten miles in diameter, standing higher than the clouds themselves. At the peak of the tree there was a massive flower that had blossomed. And hidden behind the cover of those petals was a giant eye, its color was a crimson red, and had four concentric rings with nine tomoe, three tomoe on three of the rings closest to the cornea.

The divine tree, just like any tree, bears fruit. But the fear of its power stopped any of the three kingdoms from consuming its fruit.

That is, until now.

As Princess Kaguya approached the base of the divine tree, she dropped to her knees and gave a silent quick prayer to the gods to help her defend her capital. After she was done, she moved to the base of the tree and picked off one of the low lying fruit from its branches.

She then proceeded to do what none before her had done, she consumed the fruit of the Shinju tree.

Feeling the power of the divine being coarse through her veins, her appearance changed. From on top of her head sprouted two horn-like appendages that resembled that of a moon rabbit, her once royal purple eyes turned a bright white, giving her a divine aura, and a third eye appeared in the center of her forehead, opening to reveal the eye that the Shinju had hidden behind its massive petals.

Standing back up from her kneeling position in front of the divine tree, she turned around and walked back towards her palace. With the power of the Shinju in tow, she would defend her kingdom from its invaders and bring forth peace...

Side Story End

**Post Notes**

**AAAANNNNDDD DONE! You probably expected the big fight scene from Players and Pieces to happen this chapter, but it didn't. I decided to keep that for the next chapter or so. Either way, the Naruto/Ruby and Jaune/Pyrrha pairings have started to blossom.**

**As for that side story at the end, it's a small experiment I'm conducting. If people like the idea of The Maelstrom Hunter- Remnants of the Past I'll keep writing it. Don't worry, I'm still going to do Omakes, just with a side story as well.**

**Anyways guys, this has been Chapter Five of TMH, keep reviewing and reading and I'll keep on writing these chapters.**

**CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	6. Chapter 6- The Emerald Forest Part 2

**Author's Notes**

**Yo, CrimsonKyuubiSage here. Sweet Kami the days feel as if they're blending together, but I still am trying to write chapters for this story. I got an idea for one of the scenes I plan to do for the story, but couldn't decide if I should do the scene for this chapter or not. I tried getting some advice from one of the reviewers, but I didn't get a response in time. So, I decided to flip a coin for it, and then I finally decided not to do it for this chapter, though you will see it later on, just not in this chapter. Also, in the last chapter I put a reference to Kushina's wrath, surprisingly no one pointed it out, but I admit it wasn't easy to find the reference. Still... Oh well.**

**Now onto responding to the reviewers:**

**Stratos263- That's the scene I was contemplating on doing as said above, considering that Lie Ren already fought a pair of those giant black and white snakes in the last chapter, I decided against doing it for this chapter. Don't worry though, Naruto will fight one of those giant snakes eventually, and I'll try to make it as comical as possible.**

**ImagineBreaker7- I thought that making the Jinch****ūrik****i Faunus would be a clever idea, and don't worry, how they each got here will be explained later on once Naruto's ignorance stops and finally figures out who they are, more specifically where they're from. As for your other question, let me officially state that this is a Naruto/Ruby pairing. I thought about the idea for a NaruHarem, but figured it was overused and I don't think I could pull off a harem fanfic just yet, this is my first story after all.**

**OBSERVER01- Hmm, that's actually not a bad idea, you're on to something. If I do decide to do your idea, I'll give credit to you for the idea. But, I need to figure out how Naruto will do this whilst not straying from the storyline.**

**Karlos1234ify- Like I said to ImagineBreaker7, there will be a chapter later on that explains when, where, and why three of the Jinch****ūrik****i are in Remnant. As for your question, that will be explained with the Jinch****ūrik****i chapter.**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Emerald Forest Cliffside, Third P.O.V.-

"The last pair has been formed, sir." Glynda said to Ozpin as they watched Lie and Nora on their tablets, "Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos,"

"Mmmm..." Ozpin said as he drank his Espresso.

"I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat. I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes. I guess we'll find out soon enough. At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes... Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?"

"You'll find out soon enough. What of the unknown Grimm?" Ozpin asked.

"We're still following it, but none of our instructors on the ground can identify what kind of creature it is," she replied as she tapped on her tablet to show the screen that followed the leech-like creature.

Suddenly, as they were watching the creature, it stopped. The leech Grimm just stopped right where it was, and sniffed the air for a few seconds, then disappeared in a blur, much to the shock of the duo.

"What was that?!" Glynda exclaimed.

"John! What just happened?" Ozpin yelled at the instructor tasked with following the creature.

"I don't know!" John replied back, sounding quite panicked, "It- It just disappeared!"

"Find it!" Ozpin retorted, a frown covering his face.

This was very troubling. First, there was this unknown Grimm that appeared seemingly out fo nowhere, then it just disappeared AS they were tracking it. Now this Grimm was loose in the forest, where the students were, and had just disappeared from their surveillance.

-With Naruto and Fu-

"Do you even know where you're going?" Fu asked as the duo travelled through the lush green forest.

"Of course I do," Naruto replied, "we're going to the ruin thingies that Professor Oz told us to go to."

"And how do you know it's even in this direction?" Fu questioned.

"Because I'm awesome 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed puffing out his chest in pride.

"That isn't really a good reason." Fu stated, causing Naruto to deflate, his pride slightly wounded.

"So, do you know anyone else in the academy?" Naruto asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah, three other people," Fu replied, "there's Han Irukauma, he may look intimidating cause of his height, but he's pretty nice once you get to know him. Then there's Roshi Yamazarurokku, he's a bit goofy, and one hell of a prankster. And finally, there's Blake, she's quite, but nice and a good friend. What about you? You know anyone else in this place?"

"Well, there's Jaune Arc, he's a nice guy, but seems a bit nervous. Then I know Yang Xiao Long, she's a good friend, just don't mess with her hair. And then there's Ruby Rose," Naruto said that last name with a small, but noticeable, blush on his face, "she's kind, sweet, cute, and a big fan of weapons."

"This, Ruby Rose you speak of... do you have a crush on her?" Fu asked, noticing the blush that Naruto had when he mentioned Ruby's name.

"Hm? Why would you think that?" Naruto asked innocently, not noticing the comical sweatdrop appear on Fu's head.

'... He's not that dense, is he?' she thought, taking another glance at the look of innocence on his face, 'I can't believe it, he is that dense...'

"Nevermind." Fu quickly said, promising to help those two get together. Unknown to her, she was not the only one who was currently trying to get Naruto and Ruby together, nor would she be the last to try.

-With Han and Roshi-

We find the Jinchūriki duo arriving at what was most likely the ruins that Professor Ozpin had told them to go to. The area looked like the remains of a rotunda, with five stone columns that stood tall while four other columns lay broken and scattered. The floor of the structure bore a symmetrical design, behind the temple ruins was a stone pillar-lined walkway that lead to a staircase that went down a chasm. At the edge of the floor's symmetrical design were twenty-four pedestals, each held either a black or gold chess piece that were in clusters of two of the same, one black and the other gold.

"Huh, you know, I expected this mystery item to be something else." Roshi said to his partner.

"Well, what exactly were you expecting?" Han asked rhetorically.

"A few jewels and golden idols hooked up to booby traps that involve darts, decapitating axes, and giant boulders." Roshi replied.

"It was a rhetorical question." Han deadpanned.

"Eh? It was? Nevermind, let's just grab one of these pieces." Roshi said, heading to the nearest pedestal. He grabbed the black king piece hesitantly, as if expecting a giant boulder to drop out of the sky and drop on him.

Seeing as nothing happened when he grabbed the chess piece, he went back to his partner, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Well that was a bit anti-climatic." Han said.

"Yeah, it was," Roshi said, "maybe we should wait and see who else comes along."  
"Sure, sound good." Han replied before the duo leapt into the nearest tree to wait and observe the other students.

-With Ruby and Weiss-

"It's definitely this way," Weiss said, walking right, but stopped and started walking left, "I mean... this way! It's _definitely_ this way... Alright, it's official: We passed it."

"Weiss, why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?" Ruby asked, slightly annoyed.

"Because I know _exactly_ where we're going! We're going... to... the forest temple!" Weiss exclaimed frustratingly, causing Ruby to sigh in frustration as well.

"Oh, stop it! You don't know where we are, either!" Weiss countered.

"Well, at least I'm not pretending like I know everything." Ruby retorted.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Weiss asked, getting more and more angry.

"It means you're a big, stupid **jerk** and I hate you!"

"Just keep moving!" Weiss said, walking in another direction.

"_Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaaah! Watch where you're going!_" Ruby said in a faux imitation of Weiss' voice, going back to her regular voice, "Why are you so bossy?"

"I'm not bossy! Don't say things like that!" Weiss exclaimed as she turned around to face Ruby.

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Stop acting like a kid!" Weiss countered.

"Well, stop acting like you're perfect!"

"I'm. Not. Perfect! Not yet... But I'm still leagues better than you." Weiss stated and started walking away.

"You don't even know me..." Ruby said dejectedly.

-With Yang and Blake-

Coming out of the forest, Yang and Blake stepped out into the clearing that held the ancient temple ruins. Moving closer to the temple ruins, they saw the pedestals that held the chess pieces, five of the pedestals were missing pieces.

"Think this is it?" Yang asked Blake, causing said girl to give Yang an incredulous look and head down the hill, Yang not far behind. They walked across the floor and observed the items they now recognized as chess pieces.

"Chess pieces?" Blake questioned, confused.

"Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here." Yang stated, finally noticing that several of the pedestals had missing chess pieces.

"Well, I guess we should pick one." Blake said.

"Hmmmm..." Yang said as she studied the golden knight, picking it up and showing it to Blake, "How about a cute little pony?"

"Sure." Blake said, slightly smirking. They walked to the center of the temple floor.

"That wasn't too hard!" Yang exclaimed.

"Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find." Blake said as they shared a smile.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

Jaune and Pyrrha looked into the mouth of a dark cave, stalagmites and stalactites littered around the cave. Inside the cave, unknown to the duo, was a cave drawing depicting two men, one held a staff with a circle on the top end and the other held an all-so-familiar sword, both were apparently fighting a giant beast that was depicted to have ten tail-like appendages and a single red eye.

"Think this is it?" Jaune asked as they entered the cave, moving along with a makeshift torch that Jaune was able to make before they entered the cave.

"I'm not sure this is it." Pyrrha said once they were inside the cave.

"Pyrrha, I made a torch, could you at least humor me for, like, five more feet?" Jaune sighed. Soon enough, the duo came across the cave drawings.

"You have any idea what these drawings are?" Jaune asked his partner.

"It looks to be about a thousand or so years old, but I don't know what these drawings are supposed to mean." Pyrrha replied.

As the two continued further into the cave, Jaune tripped on the ground, the torch flying out of his hand and into a small puddle, extinguishing the flame so the two were cast in darkness with only their eyes visible.

"Do you... feel that?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune got up grumbling.

"Soul-crushing regret?" Jaune said.

"No, it's... _warm_..." Pyrrha said.

The pair continued onward through the cave untill they saw a large glowing point of gold right in front of them, illuminating Jaune's excited features.

"That's the relic!" Jaune exclaimed as he reached out to grab it, only for the object to move away from his swipe, "Hey! Bad... relic!"

He tries to get it again, then jumps forward and hangs onto it as the object raises him above the ground.  
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed as the finally caught the golden object.

"Jaune...?" Pyrrha asked worried as Jaune's catch lowered itself so he was dangling in front of the now-glowing red lines and eyes of a Death Stalker.

-With Naruto and Fu-

"I think this is the right place." Naruto said as they came into the clearing with the ruins of an ancient temple.

"Hopefully it is." Fu said. The two looked around to see their two friends in the center.

"OI, HI YANG!" Naruto shouted out, waving to Yang.

"NARUTO! GOOD TO SEE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE" Yang shouted back, as Naruto and Fu got closer to the center. Naruto went over to take one of the chess pieces, specifically the golden king, while Fu went over to talk with Blake.

"Good to see you're still alive, Fu." Blake said smiling.

"Right back at you, Blake." Fu said with a similar smile.

"Hey Fu!" a voice from behind her said. She turned around to see Han and Roshi leaping from a nearby tree onto the ground near her.

"Han? Roshi? It's good to see you." Fu said to the duo. Suddenly, a girlish scream could be heard from far away, causing all to look in the direction the noise came from.

"Some girl is in trouble! Blake, did you hear that?" Yang exclaimed to her partner.

"No, I'm pretty sure that was Jaune." Naruto said with a deadpanned look.

"Are you sure? That sounded like a girl's scream." Fu pointed out.

"Trust me, that was Jaune." Naruto said.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

At the cave entrance, Pyrrha was rushing out right as the large, dark, scorpion-like creature of Grimm known as a Death Stalker crashed through the hole, roaring and waving its grass-encrusted claws as Jaune hung from its stinger.

"Help! Whoa-ah-ah-ah-ah! Why?! Pyrrha! He-e-e-elp! Pyrrha, this is not the relic! It's not!" Jaune exclaimed as he continued sobbing whilst being thrown around, "Do something!"

"Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let-" before she could finish her sentence, the Death Stalker hurled its tail back and launched the still-screaming Jaune across the forest, she could only watch in dismay, "... go."

Turning back to the creature in front of her, she smiled embarrassingly and rushed away after Jaune, the creature following in pursuit, snapping its claws at the retreating form of Pyrrha.

-With Ruby and Weiss-

"Ruby! I told you this was a bad idea!" Weiss exclaimed as they hung from the side of a large, dark, bird Grimm.

"We're fine! Stop worrying!" Ruby said loudly, trying to be casual about it.

"I am **so** far beyond worrying!"

"In a good way?"  
"In a bad way! In a very bad way! How did we even get in this situation in the first place!"

"Well, why don't we just **jump**?" Ruby asked, ignoring Weiss' question.

"What are you? **Insane**?!" Weiss said, only to notice that Ruby had already disappeared, "Oh, you insufferable little red-!"

-With Naruto, Fu, Yang, Blake, Han, and Roshi-

"Hey, did you hear that? What should we do?" Yang said.

"What are you... talking... about...?" Naruto asked, looking up to see a red and black blur falling from the sky, getting closer and closer.

"Heads uuuuuuuu-" the free falling form of Ruby said, just as she crashed into Naruto. The two fell with Naruto under Ruby.

"Uuuggghhh, what hit me?" Naruto asked, little Uzumaki swirls in his eyes, finally shaking the headache he got he looked up only for his cerulean blue eyes to meet a pair of celestial silver ones. Both Naruto and Ruby were speechless as they gazed into each other's eyes with a heavy blush on both of their faces. They stayed that way for a good minute, but to them it felt like an eternity.

"You two lovebirds done yet?" Yang teased. Said individuals were sputtering to come up with a comeback and got off of each other, their blushes still prominent on their faces and avoiding the other's eyes. It was then and here that the rest of the rookies became part of a betting ring each week where people would place bets on what day those two would hook up, it had yet to happen, but it had become a very big thing behind the duo's back, Yang being the dealer with everyone's betting money.

"S-Sorry about that." Ruby finally said to Naruto.

"I-It's okay, no big deal." Naruto replied. Suddenly, a blond blur rushed by through the sky.

"Hey Jaune! Watch out for that tree-" Naruto couldn't finish as Jaune collided with the nearby tree trunk. Suddenly, several crashing noises are heard in the forest ahead of them, and an Ursa comes out, claws swiping, just as a pink blast of energy hits it in the back and it crashes to the ground, depositing its orange-haired rider.

"YEEEE-HAAAAW!" Nora said, rolling off the creature's back and getting up with a groan, "Awwww... It's broken." she finished as she dashed onto its neck and observed the carcass as Ren came up from behind her.

"Nora! Please... Don't ever do that again." Ren said panting and leaning on the monster. Looking up again he noticed the pink dotted outline of where his partner should be and looked to see she had run off again.

"Oooohh..." Nora said, picking up the golden rook piece, "_I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!_" she chanted in a sing-song voice whilst dancing around.

"Nora!" Ren exclaimed.

"Coming, Ren!" Nora said, skipping off to her friend.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" Blake questioned her partner.

"I..." before Yang could finish, she was interrupted by the sound of a screech from their right. Looking to where the sound came from, they saw Pyrrha running to the temple with a Death Stalker right behind her.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaims, seeing her partner up in the tree.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune exclaimed as well, waving at his partner.

"Ruby!" "Yang!" "Nora!" "Naruto!" those last two were spoken by said people, interrupting what was supposed to be a hug between sisters.

"Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" Blake questioned, Yang getting angrier and angrier, bursting into a small fire, her hair splitting into nine bunches and seemingly defying the laws of gravity.

"I can't take it anymore! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something _crazy_ happens again?!" Yang exclaimed. A small silence was heard as everyone stood awkwardly waiting for Yang to cool down, Ren running over to a ditzy Nora, and Blake, Fu, Han, Naruo, Roshi, and Ruby looking up.

"Umm... Yang?" Ruby said, tugging on her sister's sleeve and pointing upward. All followed to where her finger was pointing to see Weiss hanging on a talon the size of her entire body that belonged to a gigantic Nevermore.

"How could you leave me?!" Weiss yelled at Ruby from her position.

"I said 'jump'!" Ruby shouted back.

"She's gonna fall." Blake pointed out.

"She'll be fine." Ruby dismissed.

"She's falling." Ren said.

Jaune, having finally recovered from his collision with the tree, looks up to see Weiss falling through the air. Jumping off the branch with his arms outstretched, he caught her in a slowed-down moment.

"Just... dropping in?" Jaune says, both look down and see that they still haven't touched the ground yet, "Oh, God."

They hang on to each other wide-eyed as their moment of suspension ends, their weapons flying behind them.

"Oh, noooooooo-" was Jaune's exclamation before he faceplanted into the dirt, limbs splayed out, serving as the perfect landing spot for Weiss as she falls into a seated position on his body.

"My hero." Weiss said mockingly.

"My back..." Jaune groaned.

The Death Stalker is still hunting Pyrrha, but she manages to land on her side at the feet of the heroes.

"Great! The gang's all here! Now we can die together!" Yang says.

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby says followed by a battlecry and charging at the creature, followed by Yang, Blake, Weiss, Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, and Ren, leaving Naruto, Fu, Han, and Roshi back at the temple.

"... So now what?" Naruto said. Suddenly, each of their ninja instincts kicked in as they jumped out of the way just in time for a black blur to crash into the spot the four once were and make a small cloud of dust, concealing whatever was attacking them.

"**Naruto!/Fu!/Han!/Roshi!**" each of the Jinchūriki's respective bijuu called out, all of them too surprised at what they were seeing.

'What kind of-' Naruto thought.

"-Grimm is that?' Fu thought.

"**Kit, that isn't a Grimm.**" the Kyuubi told its container.

'-Well then what is it?' Roshi thought

"**That there is-**" the Gobi said.

"**-the Reibi.**" the Yonbi finished.

"**Its a malevolent spirit, created by the dark thoughts and feelings of downtrodden people.**" the Kyuubi said, though that last part about its creation being a lie. As all the bijuu knew that this creature was a failed attempt by 'it' to escape 'its' prison.

"Guys, we have to take this thing down!" Naruto commanded, the others nodding their heads. Naruto grabbed his Kubikiribōchō off his back and got into the Uzumaki Offense Kata, Fu took out her pair of tonfas and switched them into their twin sub-machine gun mode and got into a Wind Cutter Kata, Han took his battleaxe-shotgun weapon off his back and got into a Rock Smasher Kata, and Roshi took out his twin revolver-blades and got into a Saru-Iwa Kata. They surrounded the Reibi and all at once, jumped at the beast.

"_**Show me the darkness in your heart.**_" the Reibi spoke before charging at the four Jinchūriki.

-With Itachi and Kisame-

Here we find the S-Ranked criminal duo at the docks of one of the ports near the Oki no Okunote in the Land of Waves. Having snuck past the sleeping fisherman and into one of the fishing boats.

"Are you sure we can't hack off a few limbs Itachi?" Kisame asked his partner.

"We're trying to be stealthy here, so no. We can't." Itachi said.

"Aww... Oh well, I can just hack off other people's limbs later." Kisame said with a grin on his face.

The two boarded the fishing boat and set course for their destination, Samehada picking up feint traces of three year-old chakra. Unknown to his partner, Itachi silently summoned one of his crows to be stationed at the docks for the Konoha retrieval team.

-With Team Seven (Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Chiyo, Gaara [Desceased])-

Here we find what is left of Team Seven, Kakashi, Sakura, and a recently reinstated Sasuke fighting alongside Lady Chiyo of Suna against Sasori and Deidara. Well, the fight was over now.

Sasori was dying from the blade that Sasuke used to pierce his only weakness, his heart. Deidara got away, albeit missing an arm or two.

"Heh... Looks like I'm dying..." Sasori said as he coughed up a glob of blood, "Before I die, I need to tell you something."

"Save that 'we're gonna take over the world and make peace' crap, I've already heard it." Sasuke said. He was able to be reinstated as a Genin due to the fact that he is part of a clan and due to the pestering civilian side of the council. Sakura, after a harsh scorning and a few smacks from Tsunade, focused solely on her iryounin carrer. Kakashi threw himself into his work, focusing on his missions.

"No." Sasori said, "Not that, it's something else-" he coughed up another glob of blood, indicating his mortal wound, "The... The search for one of our targets has lead us to send two of our team members across the Oki no Okunote."

"So what? You sent two of your team members to their doom, I don't care." Sasuke said.

"The team consisted of Kisame Hoshigaki and... Itachi Uchiha." that got Sasuke's attention, as he still wanted revenge on his brother, "Their target... is the Kyuubi Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki..."

And with that, and a final cough up of blood, Sasori was no longer part of the world of the living. Team Seven was shocked, not by Sasori's death, but by the news of Naruto's whereabouts.

* * *

Side Story Start

The Maelstrom Hunter- Remnants of the Past

Part II- The Aftermath of the Battle

With the power of the Shinju in her grasp, the battle became one-sided. Lightning struck from the skies, trees attacked soldiers, giant tidal waves swallowed their galleons whole, it was as if nature itself was fighting for Kaguya against the Egyptians.

Just like that, the battle was over. The Egyptians were easily defeated singlehandedly by Kaguya, and peace reigned once more.

To further the ties between their two nations, Princess Kaguya and King Arthur were wed. It wasn't just for the political ties, as the two had fallen in love and eventually, they had two children.

One by the name of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, who took on the last name of his mother, and the other by the name of Julius Arc, who took on the last name of his father.

Unfortunately for the royal family, things would soon take a turn for the worst. For the great fruit hath fallen from the tree, will eventually rot. For humanity had yet to have the power of the gods in their grasps, they had yet to experience the power, the knowledge, the joy, the sorrow, the pain, the greed, the envy, the corruption that powers brings unto them...

For humanity had yet to feel the power of the Infinite Tsukyomi. The power of the Shinju...

Side Story End

* * *

**Aaannnddd done! Sorry that it took so long to post this chapter, but I had a lot going on this week and couldn't find the time to work on the chapter, but by the weekend I was able to pull this chapter out for the readers. The next chapter will be the big fight scene between Team RWBY vs. Nevermore, Team JNPR vs. Death Stalker, and Team RHFN vs. Reibi. I give out internet cookies to all those who figured out the team I put Naruto on before this chapter. And if you can figure out what Team RHFN is an acronym for, you can get an internet cookie.**

**Anyways, I'm CrimsonKyuubiSage, this has been the next chapter of TMH, peace out.**


	7. Chapter 7- Players and Pieces

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooo Peeeeeeeeooooooooppppppppllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeee! CrimsonKyuubiSage here, bringing you the next chapter of The Maelstrom Hunter. Remnants of the Past has done better than I expected. Now onto the responses to you, the readers', reviews:**

**anon- I've already commented on this, but I've already decided the word I'll use to Team RHFN's acronym, read on to find out.**

**Zeti- Gaara died, but I'm keeping that canon so he'll be revived and Lady Chiyo dies.**

**Karlos1234ify- Recombinant Human Fibronectin, nice. I had to look up what exactly that was, very clever. Very clever indeed.**

**OBSERVER01- Yang being related to the Uzumaki? Hmmmm... Maaayyybbbeee...**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Temple Ruins, With Team RHFN (Roshi, Han, Fu, Naruto)-

The four shinobi, kunoichi in the case of Fu, leapt all at once at the Reibi. Acting on instincts the beast charged at the nearest target, which happened to be Naruto. He swung the massive butcher's knife downward only for the beast to dodge the strike.

'Damn this thing's fast!' Naruto thought as the Reibi dodged another one of his blade's swipes. As soon as the beast dodged the second swipe, Roshi jumped in and slashed his gun-knives at the beast, managing to leave a few small cuts on the beast, but not enough to do any real damage to the beast.

Roshi was only able to get a few strikes in before he was thrown back into a tree by the Reibi's tail colliding with his body. To Naruto's surprise, Roshi stuck to the tree much like his tree-walking exercise. In all his time here in Remnant, he had not seen anyone use abilities such as this. The only place he could think of that had people with this ability was the Elemental Nations.

'What the...? Is he from the Elemental Nations as well?' Naruto thought. Was Roshi from there? More importantly if he was, what if Konoha finally found him?

"**You can ask him later. But right now, focus on defeating the Reibi!**" the Kyuubi said to Naruto. Shaking his head of his current thoughts, Naruto decided to focus on the Reibi, which after flinging Roshi into the tree was being confronted by Fu and Han.

Han had his battleaxe in its shotgun form and was firing shotgun shells at the Reibi, whilst Fu had both of her tonfas in their submachine gun mode and was firing bullet after bullet at the Reibi. Unfortunately, the man-made lead bullets did little to harm the beast, as most of the bullets barely made a dent in its skin.

Seeing as the Reibi's skin was impervious to their bullets, they stopped firing and jumped out of the way just in time as the beast charged once more. As the beast charged past Fu and Han, Han brought down his battleaxe-shotgun just in time to scratch the beast, leaving a long scar across its serpent-like body.

Crying out in pain, the Reibi retreated into the forest, allowing the four shinobi to regroup to strategize.

"You've got some explaining to do, Roshi." Naruto said.

"I stuck to a tree, big whoop." Roshi said nonchalantly.

"That was chakra you used there, and the only place I've seen people use chakra is-"

"We can discuss this later. Right now, we have to stop the Reibi." Fu interrupted, Han nodded his head in agreement.

"Fu's right, we can talk about this later." Han stated.

"... Fine." Naruto finally consented, getting more serious, "Alright, it's clear that the Reibi is impervious to regular bullets, it won't be easy to engage in close combat... that leaves few options."

"Anybody know any fuinjutsu?" Han asked, Naruto getting a cartoonish light bulb float over his head.

"Yeah! I know lots of fuinjutsu!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, before getting serious, "If we can distract the Reibi for a few minutes, I can set up a Yaju Fuin no Jutsu (Beast Sealing Technique) to immobilize it and then seal it with a Yashiro no Fuin (Shrine Seal)." finished with wording his plan, he looked up to see the three other shinobi looking at him like he had grown a second head, "What? Is it so surprising that I know fuinjutsu?"

"No, what's surprising is that you are able to come up with a decent plan." Fu said, causing Naruto to facefault.

"Still, it might work." Han commented, Roshi nodding his head in agreement.

"Alright, let's do this." Naruto said, the three others present nodding in agreement.

-With Team RWBY (Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang) and Team JNPR (Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren)-

"Ruby, wait!" Yang exclaimed as she ran after her sister. Ruby charged at the oncoming Death Stalker, still screaming and fired Crescent Rose to increase her speed. When the two met, the Grimm swiped Ruby away with one of its massive claws, knocking back said girl.

"D-Do-Don't worry! Totally fine!" Ruby said as she got back up slowly. Turning back to the monster, she shot 12.7×99mm NATO rounds from her Crescent Rose at the Grimm's skull. As soon as she got its attention, she rand away from it, sheathing her scythe as the Death Stalker went after her.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed once more, running forward. But before she could reach Ruby, the Nevermore from before caws above them, flapping its wings and releasing lines of sharpened feathers with points, one of which had caught onto Ruby's cape, preventing Yang from reaching her.

"Ruby! Get out of there!"

"I'm trying!" Ruby yelled back, struggling with her cloak. The Death Stalker approached her and raised its golden stinger above the frightened red haired girl and headed down on her.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled out, reaching out in vain. Ruby closed her eyes, awaiting her inevitable demise, not noticing the white blur race past Yang.

"You are **so** childish!" Ruby heard the voice of Weiss exclaim. Opening her eyes, Ruby looked up to see that the stinger of the Death Stalker was encased in ice.

"Weiss...?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"-And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style. And I suppose I can be a bit... _difficult_... but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. So if _you_ quit trying to show off, I'll be... _nicer_." Weiss continued.

"I'm not trying to show off. I want you to know I can do this." Ruby retorted.

"You're fine." Weiss said, walking away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ruby clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and gratefully whispered "Normal knees...". As she got back up, she was rushed by the blonde blur that is her sister and pulled into a hug.

"So happy you're okay!" Yang exclaimed, before the two looked up at the Nevermore that was beginning to circle back.

"Guys? That thing's circling back! What are we gonna do?" Jaune exclaimed, noticing that the Nevermore was coming back at the group.

"Look, there's no sense in dilly-dallying. Our objective is right in front of us." Weiss pointed out, the group taking notice of the relics.

"She's right. Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things." Ruby added.

"What about the other four we were with before?" Blake asked, worried for her friend Fu.

"I'm pretty sure they can handle that thing they were chasing." Ren said, "For now, the best course of actions is to retreat."

"Run and live- that's an idea I can get behind!" Jaune supported. With everyone in agreement, the two remaining duos that didn't grab a chess piece went to the temple ruins and grabbed one. All the while the Death Stalker continued to fight its bonds, cracking the ice a little in the process.

"Time we left!" Ren exclaimed as the pairs all had a relic now.

"Right. Let's go!" Ruby said, moving everyone forward with the exception of Blake and Yang. The latter with a smile on her face as she watched her sister.

"What is it?" Blake asked her partner.

"Nothing..." Yang said, staring proudly at Ruby as she led their group onward, Blake smiling in realization.

-With Team RHFN (Roshi, Han, Fu, Naruto)-

The four shinobi leapt from tree branch to tree branch in pursuit of the Reibi, following the trail of vile chakra it left. The plan that Naruto concocted may not have been the best plan that the four could come up with, but it seemed like the best option at the moment. The four Jinchūriki followed the beast in utter silence, until Naruto broke the silence that permeated the air.

"So what part of the Elemental Nations are you guys from?" Naruto asked hesitantly. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely certain they were even from the Elemental Nations or if they knew of the hidden continent. The question lingered in the air as silence reigned once more.

"Iwagakure." Roshi answered after a few minutes with a soft tone that was barely a whisper, though the other three heard it perfectly clear.

"Iwagakure as well." Han said shortly after Roshi's statement.

"Takigakure." Fu replied after Han's response. Each of the responses surprised Naruto even more, seeing as nobody except the bijuu knew about Remnant.

"What about you?" Roshi asked Naruto, who was shaken out of his musings when questioned.

"Konohagakure." Naruto said, "So how'd you guys get here? In Remnant?"

"We'll tell you later once we defeat the Reibi." Fu said. Finding that answer acceptable for the time being, Naruto returned to focusing on the search for the Reibi.

A few minutes later, they heard the cry of a Nevermore coming from back where the temple ruins were, causing the group to turn their head slightly to where the sound came from. Continuing with their hunt, the group eventually came across a clearing. It wasn't small, but it wasn't very large either. A few patches of grass stood out in the clearing, along with a few bushes that stood below trees that had low lying branches.

And in the center of the clearing stood the Reibi, the beast seemed to be remaining still to the untrained eye, but the four shinobi could see clearly that the beast was sensing the area around it.

"Wait, how are we sure that the beast won't just escape again?" Roshi asked.

"Good point. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Naruto said, forming four shadow clones, "You guys know what to do."

"Hai, boss." was the response of the four clones in unison before going off to do what they were assigned to do.

"What are you doing?" Han asked, curious as to why Naruto created four clones.

"Ensuring that the Reibi can't escape." Naruto said cryptically.

Soon enough, the clones were at the locations they were assigned, all four forming a square formation. In sync, all four of the clones did the handsigns Hebi and clasped their hands.

"Ninpou: Shishienjin (Ninja Art: Four Flames Formation)!" the four clones cried out as a square barrier made from purple flames rose up, each clone containing enough chakra to maintain the barrier for forty-five minutes.

The four shinobi saw the purple flames rise up in the air at the same time the clones performed the jutsu.

"What the hell is that?" Fu asked, seeing as the flames had appeared out of nowhere.

"So that's what you had planned." Roshi said, "A Ninpou: Shishienjin, clever."

"How would you know that jutsu?" Fu asked, unsure of Naruto's skill in fuinjutsu.

"I'm an Uzumaki." Naruto said, puffing out his chest in pride, "Your argument is invalid."

That wasn't the real reason as to how he knew that jutsu, but he had his pride.

"But Uzumaki clan members are supposed to have red hair, not blonde hair." Fu argued.

"Yeah? Well, I'm just that awesome." Naruto countered, "Anyways, let's do this!"  
"Hai!" was the chorus of replies that he got. As soon as they finished speaking, they all did their parts. Fu, Han, and Roshi engaged the Reibi, keeping the manifestation of vile chakra busy while Naruto prepared the necessary seals for the Yaju Fuin no Jutsu.

Fu, Han, and Roshi all attacked from different sides, firing bullets and slashing their blades at the beast, distracting the beast as its targets were its current attacker, which changed each time one of the three Jinchūriki attacked. Soon enough, Naruto had finished inscribing the seals into the ground.

"Alright! Draw the Reibi over here!" Naruto yelled out. And after a few minutes of dodging a pissed off Reibi, the trio was able to draw out the beast to the area Naruto specified. Kneeling on the floor, Naruto placed his hands on the ground, the chain-like seals rose up in the form of glowing chains that bound against the Reibi's serpent-like body, immobilizing the beast using the special chakra that made the Uzumaki clan a powerful force to deal with. Clasping his hands together, Naruto began to prepare his next jutsu.

'Hatsu, Jin, Kai, Min, Shin, Gan, Reppyo, Shozen, Mika, Dan, Raku, Sho, Fu, Sai, Dan, Gik, Ragu, Bagi!' Naruto went through the proper handseals, "Yashiro no Fuin!" Naruto yelled out, placing one of his hands on the ground as the seal array drew itself.

Fu, Han, and Roshi jumped back out of the way as the seals on the ground lit up, engulfing the Reibi's body.

Now came the part that Haran-jiji had warned him about.

_Flashback Start_

_Back in the Naruto Cave (Warehouse), we find a fourteen year old Naruto with the reinforced kage bunshin of Uzumaki Haran, learning more about fuinjutsu. Because of his Uzumaki heritage and his parentage, Naruto took to fuinjutsu like a fish to water. Within the first two weeks after starting his fuinjutsu training, Naruto had mastered calligraphy. It took less than two hours to create a reverse-summonable storage scroll after learning the necessary seals. And now here he was, learning a specialized type of fuinjutsu._

_"Ne, jiji, how'd you get this fuinjutsu if it's exclusive to this 'Land of Demons'?" Naruto asked in curiosity._

_"The Uzumaki clan has thrived for centuries. Our ancestors were there to help seal the demon that this jutsu was designed for, so it would be a likely cause that the clan would have an archive of how to perform said technique."_  
_"So why exactly do I need to know this one then?" Naruto bluntly asked._

_"Well, you never know if you might need it someday or not." Haran said with a small chuckle at Naruto's bluntness._

_After that, Haran explained the mechanics of the seals used and what handsigns to use. Near the end of his explanation, the Author used the "Plot Coincidence no Jutsu"._

_"After sealing the demon's physical body, it will become a battle of wills between the demon and the caster. Should the caster's will fail to overpower that of the demon's will, then the will of the caster shall be sealed along with the demon's physical manifestation, leaving the demon's will to be in control of the caster's body."_

_"Well that sucks. But I probably won't need to use this jutsu ever!" Naruto exclaimed cheerfully, despite his statement, Haran-jiji insisted that he learn it either way._

_Flashback End_

-Naruto's Mindscape-

Naruto suddenly found himself in his mindscape, in the room where the Kyuubi's cage was held. Looming in front of him was... a small leech? This made no sense at all. The Reibi was supposed to be this giant leech-like creature that fed off of darkness.

Just as he thought about this, he noticed the leech had grown a bit from its original size. And kept growing... and growing... and growing. Until it finally was bloated and nearly half the size of the Kyuubi.

"**Kit, draw the leech near the seal gate.**" the Kyuubi said.

"Why should I?" Naruto asked, very weary of trusting the bijuu.

"**Because I feel like eating, and I'm in the mood for some marinaded leech.**" Figuring out what the Kyuubi was implying, Naruto decided to go along with its plan.

Charging at the Reibi, Naruto summoned up eleven kage bunshins, making six pairs to form Rasengan. As the rasengans were formed in six of the Naruto's hands, they each rapidly expanded past the point where they were larger than his body. And before the Reibi could react (bloated Reibi=Akimichi being defeated by all-you-can-eat buffet, stuffed and feeling lazy) it had been hit by the clones.

"Odama Rasengan!" was the cry of the clones, each pushing the beast closer and closer the Kyuubi's cage. After the sixth odama rasengan, the Reibi hit its back against the cage bars.

And that's when the beast of vile chakra froze, it froze at hearing the evil laughter that came from behind the bars of the cage. Before it could run away, a massive orange claw slammed it to the ground, effectively cutting off its chance of escape. Then the Reibi was dragged into the shadows that loomed behind the cage, followed by a few cries from the beast, then silence. Followed by the sound of a belch from the Kyuubi.

"**Tasty**." the Kyuubi said, the outline of its menacing eyes and mouth being the only things visible.

"That was easier than expected." Naruto said, a bit disappointed as he was expecting more of a challenge, "Oh well, anyways, be seeing you around furball." And with that, Naruto disappeared from his mindscape, leaving a Kyuubi to frown in seriousness.

'**Strange, how the Reibi showed up out of nowhere. And its chakra was fouler than I remembered it to be**.' the Kyuubi thought after consuming the Reibi. Laying back down in its cage, the Kyuubi decided to think on this on a later time.

-With Team RHFN-

Naruto jolted up from his previously slumped position. Looking around, he saw that the Reibi was gone, the seal was on the ground, and that his three teammates were standing around him.

"So how'd it go?" Roshi asked, a small smirk on his face, causing Naruto to match it with one of his own.

"Oh it was fine, a bit anti-climatic though." Naruto said as he got up off the ground. Looking around once more, his grin widened.

"Yatta! We did it!" Naruto exclaimed in a childlike manner, pumping his fist up in the air.

After that little exclamation, the four Jinchūriki made their way back to the cliffside, walking in a casual, nonchalant manner. The path they took led them past the temple ruins, along the way seeing the aftermath of a battle, which included the decapitated head of a Nevermore and a dead Death Stalker with its stinger lodged in its head, and the eight other initiates that were present before the groups split up.

Ruby was at the top of the cliff, her cape and petals flowing with the wind, looking down to her friends as they peered up.

"Well... That was a thing!" Yang said. Ruby continued to smile as she heard the faint sound of an audience clapping. Turning to the source of the clapping sound, she saw Naruto, Fu, Han, and Roshi all clapping. When she noticed them they each pulled out a sign with a number on it. In Roshi's hands was an 8.0, in Han's was a 7.5, in Fu's was a 7, and in Naruto's was a solid 9.

-Beacon Auditorium-

"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark." Ozpin listed off as the pictures of each person appeared on a screen. Currently all of the initiates that passed the initiation were here to be assigned their teams. "The four of you retrieved the bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL (Cardinal), led by... Cardin Winchester!"

The audience gave one more wave of ovation, while the four students walked off the stage as four other students walked onto the stage. Each taking their places in front of the headmaster as their faces filled the screen.

"Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." Amidst the clapping, Nora laughed and gave Ren a hug, "Led by... Jaune Arc!"

"Huh? L-Led by...?" Jaune said in disbelief.

"Congratulations, young man." Ozpin said. A grinning Pyrrha offered a friendly shoulder bump to Jaune, but her "fine leader" was knocked over and fell to his butt in front of the now laughing audience.

"Blake Belladona. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long." Ozpin started, motioning over to the four as they stood before him, "The four of you retrieved the knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby). Led by... Ruby Rose!" This statement caused Weiss to look to her right surprised, where Ruby is obliviously in shock as Yang goes over to hug her sister.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang exclaimed as she hugged her sister. After the four stepped off stage, or dragged of in shock in Ruby's case, four more stepped up onto the stage.

"And finally: Han Irukauma. Roshi Yamazarurokku. Naruto Uzumaki. Fu Toruko. The four of you retrieved the king pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RHFN (Archfiend). Led by... Naruto Uzumaki!" Said blonde knucklehead was sporting a large grin on his face as he did a little dance mentally. Amid the last round of cheers, Ozpin looked around in interest.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be an... interesting year." Ozpin said.

-Team RHFN Dormitory-

After the party that was held for the new teams, everyone was assigned dormitories to sleep in. Team RHFN's dorm was near Team RWBY's and Team JNPR's as well, so they all knew each other well enough to be on a friendly basis. So here we find the squad of Jinchūriki preparing to sleep. Han was wearing a white t-shirt along with brown pajamas, Roshi was wearing dark red pajamas along with a grey t-shirt that had a cartoon monkey on the front, Fu was wearing a black tank top and teal pajamas, and Naruto was wearing a white shirt with a nine-tailed fox on the back in blue along with dark orange sweatpants.

The four were prepped for sleep, but one question was still on Naruto's mind.

"You guys still haven't answered my question." Naruto blurted out, causing the three others to look at him, "How exactly did you guys get to Remnant?"

Chapter End

* * *

Short Story Start

Spirits of the Swirl Part One: The Mask

Our hero, despite being as knowledgeable as Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime present day, was not always this knowledgeable. Here is one of those stories of how he learned some awesome jutsus (CKS: Naruto! Stay away from my computer, this is my story, Naruto: But-, CKS: No!).

"Hey Haran-jiji," Naruto started, a strange mask in his hands, "what the heck is this?"

"Ah yes, that there's one of the Uzu masks. Those are masks granted to us by Shinigami-sama to our ancestors. Originally, we had fifty of those masks, but nearly half of them were destroyed out of fear, lost to the earth, or stored away in one of our shrines." Haran explained, saddened a bit at what happened to the clan.

"But what do they do?" Naruto asked, thoroughly examining the mask. It's appearance reminded him of a grinning demon with horns at the top of its head.

"That is knowledge lost to our ancestors, even I have yet to figure out the purpose of those masks." Haran said. Naruto held the mask to his face as if to put it on.

"Well... there's only one way to find out!" Naruto exclaimed as he began to put the mask on his face.

"Naruto wait!" Haran exclaimed, only for his cries to fall to deaf ears as his grandson put on the mysterious mask of the death angel.

After her put the mask on, he froze. Not a single movement which caused to Haran to sweat in nervousness. After a minute, Naruto moved again.

"Ne, Haran-jiji, is something supposed to happen?" Naruto said, taking off the mask and reexamined the mask, causing Haran to sweatdrop.

After Haran gave Naruto his lesson, he did his daily routine of resealing himself as to preserve chakra. Leaving Naruto to go about his daily activities.

That is, until he spotted a strange girl with red hair. As said earlier, she had long red hair also wearing a white band, dark eyes, a purple, sleeveless kimono blouse with yellow trimmings held close by a traditional obi tied together with a long, streaming bow, mesh armor underneath, and a short white skirt. She seemed to be wearing no footwear, leaving her barefoot.

Said girl was staring directly at him with a look of indifference, causing Naruto to raise his eyebrow.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Naruto asked, which shocked the red haired girl.

"You... You can see me?" the girl asked hesitantly.

"Well, yeah. Who are you anyways?" Naruto asked.

"I'm Uzumaki Honoka..." the now identified Honoka said.

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**Aaaannnddd done! Sorry it took so long to write this chapter, but I've been in sort of a lazy state. School is nearing its end at long last, and I like to think of the school year like a mile run on the track. At first, mainly everybody is sprinting with high spirits. But as you near that final lap, you start to run on fumes.**

**Also, I apologize if the Reibi battle seemed anti-climatic. I'm running on fumes and haven't really had much experience in writing fight scenes.**

**And for the acronym for Team RHFN, Archfiend, is very clever in my opinion. Good tries for all you who guessed. I chose Archfiend for two reasons. One: The word has the letters 'R', 'H', 'F', and 'N' in it. And two: the definition of Archfiend is chief demon. And the Bijuu can be considered chief demons.**

**Anyways, I'll see you next time.**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	8. Chapter 8- Pasts and Pranks

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooo people! CrimsonKyuubiSage here bringing you the next chapter of The Maelstrom Hunter.**

**Exciting News! I'm going to write a new story! And you, yes you the readers, will decide!**  
**After posting this chapter, I'm going to ask you the readers to vote for one of five options, ONLY one of the five please, if you happen to put down two or more numbers I'll just go with the first number you put.**

**For my own paranoid reasons, I won't reveal what the chosen story idea will be until the vote is over, so these are the choices:**

**-Mystery Option #1-**

**-Mystery Option #2-**

**-Mystery Option #3-**

**-Mystery Option #4-**

**-Mystery Option #5-**

**Those are the choices given, put your vote in the reviews and I'll tally up the votes in, say two or three weeks. And now for the reviews of your reviews:**

**regfurby- I'm trying to ensure that this story doesn't become one of those 'everyone from the EN knows Naruto is here by using the Writer's Technique: Plot BS no Jutsu'. But at the same time trying to make it an eventual encounter. Trust me, I've got this explanation on how certain people know planned out.**

**OBSERVER01- The second short I'm doing, Spirits of the Swirl, will have some connection to the main plot. The same goes for my first short, The Maelstrom Hunter: Remnants of the Past.**

**ZeroDragonFlame- Team RHFN (Archfiend) is a damn clever name if I say so myself. And as for your question, allow me to state, this story is going to be Naruto/Ruby pairing, along with a few other pairings, but not NaruHarem.**

**Karlos1234ify- The concept of using Aura and Semblance is something The Maelstrom Hunter: Remnants of the Past will explain...**

**ImagineBreaker7- You have a valid point, the Team names usually have the leader being the first letter in the acronym, but I've found a loophole to that. According to the wiki page, there is nothing saying that the leader has to be the first letter in the acronym of a Team, but it is implied.**

**And with that, I give you the next chapter. Read and review.**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Team RHFN (Team Archfiend) Dormitory-

"How exactly did you guys get to Remnant?" Naruto asked.

"Well..." Roshi started.

_Flashback Start_

_-Near the Border of Earth Country and Waterfall Country-_

_Roshi was running, running away from Iwa and the source of his sorrows. The twelve year old boy ran as far as his legs could carry him._

"I was running away." Roshi said.  
"From what?" Naruto asked.

"From the lies I was fed by Iwa." Roshi replied.

_Stopping at a nearby rock, Roshi hunched over panting as tears streamed down his eyes. He had been running from Iwagakure for six hours straight. He couldn't believe it, no, he could. But that didn't mean that the truth didn't hurt._

_Hours ago, he had overheard something that destroyed his trust with the Tsuchikage and his best friend._

"I was told by the Tsuchikage that he didn't know my family." Roshi stated.

"But he was lying." Naruto said. He was in a similar situation back in Konoha.

"Yeah..."

_Thinking back on the events that unfolded only hours ago, Roshi had found out about his family. They were all dead, but what really hurt was that the man he had trusted had lied to him from the start._

"I learned that my grandfather was the Yonbi's Jinchūriki, I was named after him by my parents moments before he was killed. The Iwa Council, from what I found out, had felt as if my grandpa was becoming too old to be a 'useful weapon to Iwa' and decided to extract the Bijuu from him and seal it into a new container..." Roshi said, but was unable to finish.

"And you were that container." Naruto concluded, Roshi nodding his head.

"Once word got out that I would be the next Jinchūriki, my parents were hunted down so 'the demon would be killed while it was weakened'. Minutes after my birth, my parents hid me with the Tsuchikage and left with a blanket concealing a child-sized rock. They were found lynched and surrounded by the same mob that was after my head.

Nearly everything that connected me to them was destroyed so that was all I was able to find out."

_The scene changes to show that Roshi was walking toward a tropical forest, nearly exiting the mountainous terrain that Rock country was famed for. Something was compelling him to head towards the coast, but he couldn't figure out what. Suddenly, an kunai was thrown near him, a tag was attached and fizzing. He jumped back just in time to escape the blast radius. Looking around for the source of the kunai, he was greeted with the sight of three shinobi, each wearing an Iwagakure headband. The man on the left was wearing a red long sleeved shirt, his left sleeve missing, a lapel on the side without a sleeve, dark grey shinobi pants, and the standard Ch__ūnin __brown flak jacket. On the right was a woman wearing a dark red sleeveless shirt, grey shinobi pants, the Ch__ūnin __brown flak jacket, and a dark red Iwagakure headband around her neck. And in the center was a man wearing dark sunglasses, a dark red long sleeved shirt, a brown Ch__ūnin __flak jacket, dark grey shinobi pants, and his black Iwagakure headband was tied around his left arm near his shoulder._

"I was near the border between Earth Country and Waterfall Country when the shinobi sent after me caught up. They would have taken me back too, if it wasn't for some outside assistance."

_As the story continued, the scene changed to show Roshi barely standing in a devastated scenery with the three Iwagakure shinobi standing above him, said shinobi looking worse for wear, but better than Roshi's condition. As the shinobi in the middle raised his arm to knock out Roshi, a red blur knocked him away. Looking up, Roshi saw a large, menacing figure standing over him. His savior was wearing red samurai armor along with a straw hat of the same pattern, and had... a horse tail?_

"Han arrived just in time to save me from being captured by the village. Later on that day, we talked and agreed that Iwa wouldn't stop hunting us, so we had to go beyond their reach, beyond the Elemental Nations."

_Another scene change (Surprise, Surprise [Self-Sarcasm Test Complete]) showed the two Jinch__ūrik__i walking through a jungle-like terrain, only to come across gruesome sight. A familiar mint-green haired girl was found beaten near the side of their path. Rushing to her side, the two Jinch__ūrik__i examined her wounds before helping her up._

"While we were walking through Waterfall Country, we must've ended up near Takigakure, because along the way we found the last member of our little group, Fu. When we found her, she had been beaten by a mob of civilians." Roshi stated.

"I was weary of them at first because of past experiences, but I eventually came to trust them. When they told me of what they planned to do, I immediately asked to join them." Fu finished.

_The now trio of Jinch__ūrik__i were now found falling asleep with a low campfire slowly burning out. Fu and Roshi were going to sleep while Han stayed awake and kept guard. As Roshi closed his eyes, he reopened them again, but he was no longer in the jungle terrain, no, he was standing on dark blue water, a deep black fog surrounding him. He jumped up and took a defensive position, preparing to fight whatever dragged him here, only to loosen up at the sound of a voice._

_"__**Come closer...**__" an ominous deep voice softly bellowed. Following the sound of the voice, Roshi came across a large, dark grey stone platform. Standing on the platform was a giant red-furred, green-skinned monkey. Its body build resembled that of a gorilla, and had eyes with yellow irides and white pupils, spike-like protrusions along the length of four tails that came from its body, two long horns curved upward on its forehead, resembling a crown, and had two elongated fangs coming from its mouth, both its fangs and horns were dark-tipped._

"One of the nights while we were traveling, I had entered my mindscape and met the bijuu sealed inside me." Roshi told Naruto.

"The Yonbi?" Naruto asked, Roshi nodding his head.

"It prefers to go by the name Son Goku." Roshi added.

_"__**So this is my latest jailer. Humph, my last Jinch**__**ūrik**__**i was more impressive.**__" Son Goku said._

_"Where am I? How did I get here? Who are you?" Roshi asked._

_"__**Humph, I don't need to tell you anything.**__" Son Goku sneered. After a few minutes, Roshi snapped his finger in realization._

_"I know! You're the Yonbi!" Roshi exclaimed._

_"__**The name's Son Goku, remember it.**__" Son Goku commanded more than said._

_"Okay then. Can I just call you Son?" Roshi said._

_"__**No.**__" Son Goku said._

_"So Son, where am I?" Roshi said._

_"__**It's Son Goku, and we're in you mindscape.**__" Son Goku said, irritated by Roshi's nickname for him._

_"My mindscape?" Roshi said in curiosity, he looked around left and right before staring back at Son Goku, "I thought it would look a bit different."_

_Flashback End_

"After that first initial meeting, we met a few times more. And eventually, we came to an agreement. I scratch his back, he scratches mine sort of deal, with the added benefit of becoming part monkey." Roshi said, a grin plastered on his face at that last statement.

"He's not the only one who made a deal with a bijuu." Han added, "I made a deal with Kokuo that benefited us both." Channeling some of Kokuo's chakra, his body transformed. His hands and feet turned into white hooves, his single horse faunus tail soon became five, his torso becoming that of a horse, and his head resembling that of a white dolphin with four horns with light brown tips.

All in all, he looked like a miniature version of Kokuo. Transforming back from his bijuu form, Han stretched a bit.

"Damn, always a stress on the joints." Han said as he finished stretching.

"My deal with Lucky Seven gave me these-" Fu said, six insect wings and a tail sprouting from her body, "-in exchange for sharing my senses and some gambling every now and then."

"What about you?" Roshi asked Naruto.

"How do you know if I even am a Jinchūriki?" Naruto countered.

"You didn't hide your presence very well when you came here." Roshi answered, Naruto throwing his hands up in defense.

"Fine, you win. I basically made the same deal with the Kyuubi like you did with Son Goku." Naruto said, pointing at Roshi, "Only difference is that I became a fox faunus."

"Cool." Roshi said. The crew went back to prepping to sleep.

"So Roshi," Naruto started, said monkey faunus looking up, "I hear that you're a prankster."

"You got that right." Roshi replied, puffing out his chest in pride, "I was proclaimed the number one prankster back in Iwa, the Red Monkey." he finished, causing Naruto to grin like a madman.

"Oh really? Well, you're looking at Konoha's number one prankster, the Orange Fox." Naruto proclaimed, Roshi beginning to have a grin that matched Naruto's.

"That is very, very interesting..." Roshi said. Neither of them spoke for half a minute, each devising a prank to pull on the other, causing Fu and Han to look at the two pranksters in fear.

Soon enough, all four Jinchūriki went to sleep, the two pranksters of the group deciding to prank the other the next day.

-Naruto's Mindscape-

Kurama sighed at his host's antics. Before he could continue his train of thoughts, he felts his conscious being pulled into a different plane, a feeling he had not felt in a long time. The last time this happened was when...

Kuruma suddenly found himself in a small flat clearing with a light brown floor. Looking around, the ancient mass of chakra saw three familiar beings, and four fast asleep humans. The first was a red four tailed monkey, the second was a white five tailed horse with a dolphin-like face, and the third was a blue armoured kabutomushi with seven tails, six of which resembled green insect wings. Naruto, Roshi, Han, and Fu were fast asleep on the floor, leaving the four bijuu awake.

"It's good to finally see you again after all these years, Kuruma-nii." the kabutomushi said.

"It certainly has been a long time since we last met, Chomei, Kokuo, Son Goku." Kuruma said, "So why are we here?"

"We need to discuss the Reibi." Son Goku said becoming serious.

"Surely you must have felt that disturbance nii-san." Kokuo said quietly.

"Indeed I did, but the Reibi's chakra felt different than before. More... tainted." Kurama stated, his eyes narrowing slightly, "But that's not what worries me." The bijuu finished, causing the three others to tense up.

"By now, I'm sure you all have sensed small fragments of 'it' coming from these creatures the humans call 'Grimm'." Kuruma said.

"I did as well." Son Goku added.

"Same here." Kokuo quietly said.

"As much as I'd like it to not be true, we all have felt a small fragment of 'it' inside these Grimm. But how?" Chomei asked.

"I don't know Chomei, but if it's presence is found even here, then we need to be on guard." Kuruma said.

"But what about the others?" Kokuo quietly asked, worried about the other bijuu still in the Elemental Nations.

"Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Saiken, and Gyuki can handle what comes at them." Kuruma said.

"But what if they can't?" Chomei countered.

"Then we will have to prepare for the worst..." Kuruma said.

-Team RHFN (Archfiend) Dormitory-

The sun had just rose above the horizon, casting a scene of warm shades on the color spectrum, the grass still had traces of morning dew as a gentle breeze made the grass sway slightly, birds chirped every now and then as the wildlife in the area began to awake from their slumber.

Yes, if one were to look at the scenery in front of them, they would find that all seemed quiet and peace-

"Boom!" was the sound that came from the Team RHFN dormitory, shortly followed by the sound of a second explosion coming from the same source.

-Five Minutes Earlier-

The sun had just begun to rise. All was quiet as Team RHFN slumbered, that is, except for one.

Roshi silently giggled at the prank he was about to pull on Naruto. As Naruto lied sleeping in his bed, Roshi had set up a series of non-lethal ninja wires that was rigged to release his trademark red paint that would be activated when Naruto rose from his bed.

Still chuckling to himself, he quietly made his way back to his bed. Once he was at his bed, he grabbed a small pebble he kept hidden in his pillow, and threw it at Naruto, effectively waking the blonde fox up.

"What the heck-?" Naruto said as he rose from his bed.

"Boom!" the prank was activated as the blonde was splattered with the Red Monkey trademark red prank paint.

"Haha! I got you good." Roshi laughed, beginning to sit down on his own bed, "And with that, Iwa's Infamous Red Monkey-" before he could finish his self-gloating, a second explosion went off and Roshi suddenly found himself covered in Orange Fox trademark orange prank paint, effectively shocking the red haired monkey. This caused Naruto to grin, only to disappear in a 'poof', further shocking the Red Monkey.

The door to the team's room opened to reveal Naruto with his trademark fox-like grin plastered on his face.

"But... But..." Roshi tried to form words to comprehend what just happened.

"You really thought that you could get one over me? Pleeeaaasse, you can't defeat the master!" Naruto said with his grin becoming even larger, "Aaannndd with that, Konoha's Infamous Orange Fox continues to hold the title of number one prankster in all the world!"

-With Team Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai, Pier 27, Water Country-

The nine members of Konoha 11 and the two Root members had finally arrived at their destination. The morning mist was still present, giving the docks an eerie feeling.

"So tell me again why were at this dock so early in the morning?" Ino complained, being the most unadapted to waking up at this time of day.

"We need to leave behind as little a trail as possible. The more we stay in one area, the more likely our trail can be traced." Yamato explained, "Also, this is where we're supposed to meet our informant."

"Who exactly is this guy that we're supposed to meet?" Kiba asked.

"Well..." Yamato began, only to be interrupted.

"Caw! Caw!" Yamato had been interrupted by a crow that was perched on one of the wooden posts. The crow itself looked to be old and had a small note attached to its foot, but other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary about this crow.

"Speak of the devil. This here is the informant." Yamato stated, the others minus Sai looking at him like he grew a second head.

"A crow...?" Kiba questioned.

"Well of course, we can't actually meet our informant lest we blow his cover." Yamato explained, getting a chorus of 'ah's from the confused nine. Grabbing the piece of paper attached to the crow's foot, he read the information that had been inscribed by their informant.

"Alright, find a nearby boat to use, we're going to need one."

-With Team RHFN (Archfiend) and Team RWBY (Ruby)-

Han and Fu along with the four members of Team RWBY stared in disbelief at the odd sight. Throughout the whole day, even with their classes, Naruto and Roshi had an all-out prank war, nearly everyone being caught in the crossfire. Which consisted of various exploding paints, snares, exploding waters, exploding drinks, exploding paper stacks... pretty much everything had somehow been turned into an exploding object by these two.

Said individuals were currently in a strange predicament. Roshi was currently stuck to fly paper on the ceiling covered in orange paint, small pieces of paper, feathers, honey, scorch marks, baby powder, and itching powder. Naruto was hanging upside-down from a snare trap covered in spots of red paint, scratches, scorch marks, itching powder, and feathers.

"Hi Ruby! Hi Yang!" Naruto waved, despite being upside-down, causing the two to have a sweatdrop appear while their other two teammates were still in disbelief.

"Do I even want to know how you two got into this situation?" Fu asked, sighing at her teammates' antics.

"Nope!" was the unison reply that she got from the two pranksters.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, How It Could Have Gone-

Naruto and Roshi started to glare at each other after the revelation of their prankster identities.

Suddenly, the duo started to channel energy in a Super Saiyan-like pose, Naruto's energy manifesting into a bright orange aura and Roshi's manifesting into a bright red aura. Both started shouting, waking up their recently asleep teammates.

Fu and Han shot up out of their bed just in time to see the two pranksters beginning to levitate whilst channeling energy and shouting, until Naruto charged forward at Roshi.

"THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!" Both pranksters yelled out. When they two collided, a small explosion of red and orange paint coated the room, along with the four people in it.

It may not have seemed like that much of an explosion at the epicenter, but if one were to look from outside the room, it looked as if someone packed twelve dozen C4's into one explosion.

Naruto, Fu, Han, and Roshi were all covered in the mixture of red and orange paint and silent. The four stayed silent for a few minutes before Fu spoke up.

"Ah screw it, it's eleven-thirty right now, I'm going back to sleep." She said, smothering her face in her pillow in an attempt to go back to sleep.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddd done! Sorry if this chapter is shorter compared to the others, but I've been focusing on preparing for finals.**

**Pick one of the options I stated above and see what comes out of it. Whichever option you guys choose I'll write.**


	9. Chapter 9- The Hunter and The Hunted

**Author's Notes**

**Yo guys, CrimsonKyuubiSage here. Now I know there have been a few comments saying that for my mystery story idea selection thing I should make a poll. Truth be told, and I'm not ashamed of it, I am one of the most easily confused people you will most likely ever meet. Sometimes I even confuse myself with what I say, but that's how I got most of my ideas. Despite this, I had somehow figured out how to make a poll and it is posted on my profile, how I got it to work is beyond my understanding, but it works.**

**On a side note of my personal life, I've been watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which by the way, sounds way more exciting ¡En Español! I didn't catch the start of the games until Colombia and Greece played, again, sounds way more exciting ¡En Español! Plus the commercials are fun.**

**Also, I was watching the Minecraft Mianite livestreams on Twitch, though I'm on Team Dianite, if you watch the Mianite livestreams I want to know what team you guys are on.**

* * *

**So far, here's the votes according to the poll:**

**-Mystery Option #1- 0**

**-Mystery Option #2- 3**

**-Mystery Option #3- 2**

**-Mystery Option #4- 0**

**-Mystery Option #5- 3**

* * *

**And now, time to review the reviews that you reviewed, try saying that five times fast:**

**ImagineBreaker7- Roshi's past was an idea that I got through my near insanity thinking, I figured that (spoilers if you haven't read the previous chapter) having the Roshi of this story being the grandson of the Roshi that is known as the forty-year old container of Son Goku would be a better explanation and more logical than some mystical magic powers that the bijuu have to reverse aging. Yes, later on in the story I will divulge into Han and Fu's past. And to answer your second question: soon. The time where the Konoha shinobi are reunited with Naruto is getting closer and closer. And lastly your third question: This story will be a Naruto/Ruby pairing, but there will possibly be characters that develop small crushes on Naruto or Ruby, I haven't decided yet.**

**Karlos1234ify- The options for the poll, as the names imply, are a mystery to all but me and a few people who actually see me writing this story on my laptop whilst watching the FIFA World Cup ¡En Español! So the only way to find out what I'm going to write next is to see which option was chosen by the majority and wait for me to publish it. As an avid reader of many fanfics, I am 85% sure that the ideas that are hidden behind the mystery options have yet to be written by anyone. ****If the poll gets more than 30 votes in the next week, I'll give a few hints as to what the story idea that has the most votes is.**

**OBSERVER01- I'll be blunt, yes I'm implying that the Grimm are related to the Juubi. The real question for you, my readers, is **_**HOW**_** are they connected? Only time will tell...**

**regfurby- The idea behind the creation of Team RHFN (Archfiend) is an interesting concept. When I first started writing this fanfic, I began to make plans for its future. The first being 'What Team should I put Naruto on?' Putting him on Team RWBY (Ruby) would work because I have the idea that each Team in the RWBY universe had to be a four-person squad. I don't think it would have worked out putting him on Team JNPR (Juniper) and no way was I gonna put him on Team CRDL (Cardinal). I briefly thought about putting him on a team with Velvet Scarlatina, you know, an all-faunus team, but then I had this brilliant idea. 'What's to stop me from bringing other characters from the Naruto universe in? Mwahahahahahaha!' ... Okay, ignoring the evil laughter, I thought about putting other Jinch****ūrik****i with him. The first conception I had was making Team HNTR (Hunter), having Fu change her name to Turquoise or Turquoise in Japanese, having her act as a double character that was seen at the end of RWBY Season 1 with the light green hair. But then Turquoise became Emerald and that Idea was thrown out the window. Skip ahead to around the time I was writing chapter 4 or 5, I asked my mom, 'Hey mom, what words use the letters 'R' 'H' 'F' and 'N'? It doesn't have to be in any specific order.' Using a website for making words for Scramble, one of the first few results that came up was 'Archfiend'. I looked up the definition of Archfiend, and it said a chief fiend of demon. And that's when I thought to myself 'That's Brilliant!' because the Bijuu, despite being known as large constructs of chakra that amassed a consciousness, can and have been portrayed to be demons, CHIEF demons to be precise. Team RHFN (Archfiend) had become both ingenious and grammatically accurate. And for the Omake, I decided to make a Highlander reference instead, as both Roshi and Naruto are self-proclaimed prank masters.**

**donovan123456789- If you check my profile, at the top it should show a poll I made for the Mystery Story I'm going to write. It wasn't my goal to use a vote to get reviews but you must also understand that I've only been writing on for two or three months, I have yet to become accustomed to all the features on this website pertaining to writers and profiles and forums, etc. etc.**

**Ddragon21- People from Konoha will be in it... whatever 'it' is. If you're implying a question as to whether or not people from Konoha will be in the mystery story, maybe, maybe not. But if your question is pertaining to The Maelstrom Hunter, that ship has already set sail and it isn't going to stop until it sinks to the bottom of the ocean. And in my opinion, yes, Konoha has f**ked up one too many times with Naruto's childhood. But I'm still keeping this story a Naruto/Ruby pairing.**

**WordSmyth- Archfiend may be a huge stretch for RHFN, but at least it's grammatically correct and has some logic to it. Like I said before, Archfiend is defined as a chief fiend/demon, which considering that the four members are Jinch****ūrik****i, makes sense because Bijuu can be considered chief demons.**

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**And now, without further delay, I give you the next installment of The Maelstrom Hunter!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-With Naruto Retrieval Team (Team Asuma, Gai, Kurenai), Oki no Okunote-

"Urrrggghh." Lee cried out, lying on the floor as the boat the team was in rocked back and forth. Tenten rolled her eyes at her teammates antics.

"Seriously Lee? I thought you were fine with boats." Tenten said.

"No, I'm not." Lee groaned out as he felt his seasickness kicking in again.

"You didn't have a problem back when we traveled by boat through the Land of Tea." Neji pointed out.

"Our client, Blergh, gave Gai-sensei some medicine to give to me when we got on the boat." Lee replied, getting more nauseous by the minute. Both Tenten and Neji paled at the mention of the medicine their sensei gave Lee, catching the attention of one blond gossiper.

"Hmm? What happened that got you guys like this?" Ino asked, the rest of the team listening in.

"Well..." Tenten started, only to be cut off by her other teammate.

"No don't Tenten!" Neji exclaimed, putting his hand over Tenten's mouth, "We all promised to never speak of that day again."

"It's, Urrrggghh, true Tenten." Lee said, "What happened back then should never be spoken of again."

"But-"  
"NEVER, BLEGH, AGAIN." Both Neji and Lee exclaimed, Lee's seasickness affecting him halfway through the sentence.

They had been out on the ocean for about three weeks now, finally surviving the last of the turbulent weather that acted as the natural boundary between the Elemental Nations and the unknown about two weeks ago. Had it not been for Yamato's ability to use the Mokuton, their ship would not have been able to sail as easily.

"How do we know if Naruto's even out here?" Chouji asked.

"Even though it's been three years since we last saw him, he still left a feint chakra trail." Neji stated, his Byakugan activated. After a minute of staring off into the distance, his eyes narrowed, Hinata doing the same.

"What do you see?" Shikamaru asked.

"Prepare to throw the anchor, we're approaching land in about fifty kilometers." Neji said.

As soon as they got closer to the new found land, they noticed that there was a fishing ship anchored near the shore. It looked to be abandoned recently, as Neji and Hinata saw no one aboard with their eyes, but both were able to notice a recent chakra trail coming from the ship.

-With Itachi and Kisame-

"This has been _soooooo_ boring!" Kisame complained to his stoic partner. The two having traversed quite a long distance despite having only set foot on land three days ago. Using Samehada, the nukenin duo were able to trace the Kyuubi Jinchūriki's trail, only resting from exhaustion or chakra depletion.

"How far off are we from the Kyuubi Jinchūriki?" Itachi asked after a minute of silence, causing Kisame to grin like a madman.

"Only a little bit farther." Kisame said, looking forward. Landing on the ground near the road, the saw a stone sign nearby.

'Welcome to Beacon Academy Campus' was written on the sign as the two continued their hunt.

-With Team RHFN (Archfiend), Team RWBY (Ruby), and Team JNPR (Juniper)-

Here, we find the three teams talking, gossiping, just relaxing in their normal clothes, not that stiff school uniform that they had to wear during school hours. Ever since the teams were assigned, things had been eventful. First off, Naruto and Roshi's prank war, although not as hardcore as it was in the beginning, was still raging on, each getting more elaborate as the days went on. Second, there was the events where Cardin, leader of Team CRDL (Cardinal), had begun to bully some of his fellow students, picking on Jaune and some faunus in particular, this situation ended after his own attempt at a prank backfired, and being the target of Naruto and Roshi's rare team-up pranks.

Naruto was talking, well more like arguing, with Nora that ramen was better than sweets, eventually ending up in a stalemate. Said blond shinobi was currently chatting with Ruby, both teens having a small blush on their faces.

Suddenly Naruto felt a familiar presence nearing his location, one that was far from subtle, and far from friendly.

"Hey guys, I gotta go do something. Catch ya later." Naruto said, stopping in his tracks and walking away.

"You better not try setting up another prank for me." Roshi joked, causing Naruto to scoff.

"_Please_, if I was going to go prank you, you'd know by now that I'd have a better excuse." Naruto pointed out, "Well, see you guys later."

Waving goodbye, Naruto watched as his friends walked away, feeling their presence going further and further away. Minutes passed, but eventually he jumped backwards just in time for the ground he once stood under to crack and be destroyed by a giant dark-blue scale-like blade that smashed into the ground.

_**(Play Akatsuki Theme)**_

"Hoshigaki Kisame." Naruto stated, "I always knew this day would come, I just hadn't pictured it so soon."

"Nice to see ya too brat." Kisame said, his madman-like grin present on his face.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)!" a voice yelled from behind Naruto, said blond jumping out of harms way as a large fireball rushed past him.

"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Bullet Technique)!" Naruto called out as a torrent of water shot out of his mouth at its intended target, only for it to miss.

"Uchiha Itachi." Naruto said.

"Hn." Itachi grunted.

"Now then, why don't you just be a good little Jinchūriki and just come with us." Kisame said in an overly sweet voice. Unsealing his Kubikiribōchō, Naruto raised the blade in one hand and pointed it at Kisame.

"How about this instead. You guys try to capture me, I kick your asses, and then you leave me alone. Sound good?" Naruto said, the two Akatsuki members said nothing, but prepared their respective jutsus.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)/Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique)!" Itachi/ Kisame cried out as their technique shot towards Naruto.

"Jūha Shō (Beast Tearing Palm)!" Naruto shouted as a visible wind slashed the two water jutsus coming at him in half vertically, as soon as the wind jutsu divided the water, Naruto took a deep breath and formed seven handsigns, "Katon: Karyū Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!"

Finishing the last handsign, Naruto shot out a large mass of flames that, like the name of the jutsu entails, took the form of a massive Chinese dragon that went for the two Akatsuki members. Kisame just smirked and brought Samehada up to block the incoming attack, only for the jutsu that was intended to hit them dissipated as it came near the scale-like blade, Naruto's eyes widening at the action.

'Crap! I forgot about that sword's ability.' Naruto thought as he dodged a horizontal slash from Kisame's blade. Kisame swung the massive blade once again, only this time Naruto blocked the attack with his own sword. The two blades clashed against the other, both trying to overpower the other. Kisame looked at Naruto's blade that was pushing at his own and raised an eyebrow.

"Kubikiribōchō?" Kisame asked, his face held an amused smirk.

"Not exactly the original, but just as good. Maybe even better." Naruto replied as he grit his teeth, Kisame's sword slowly but surely overpowering his.

-With Team RWBY (Ruby), Team JNPR (Juniper), Roshi, Han, and Fu-

"Boom!" was the resonating sound that permeated the air, putting the eleven students on edge.

"That sounded close by." Ren pointed out.

"We need to inform security." Jaune stated.

"Alright, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, you guys inform security of this, the rest of us will investigate the explosions." Ruby said, getting nods of agreement from all. After being told what to do and where to go, Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha went to campus' security while Team RWBY and Ren went to their weapon lockers, the three members of Team RHFN went off in the direction of the explosion.

-With Naruto-

Jumping back to get some distance between the shark-like man and his chakra absorbing sword, Naruto formed the bird handsign and took a large breath and filled his lungs with air for his next jutsu.

"Fūton: Kūki Kajō Kaki (Wind Release: Air Bullets)!" Naruto cried out as five massive bullets of visible air shot out at Kisame.

As expected, Samehada absorbed the chakra used for the wind jutsu, giving Naruto time to form a kage bunshin to charge at Kisame. Smirking, Kisame swung the massive blade at the clone, luckily the clone dodged the swipe and got inside of Kisame's guard.

The clone started condensing the chakra that it had, smirking as it felt the appropriate level of chakra buildup being reached.

"Boom." the clone muttered, a smirk plastered on its face as the condensation of chakra was released in one suicidal explosion, also known as a Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion), effectively injuring Kisame.

With Kisame temporarily stunned at the moment, Naruto looked around for his partner in crime. Looking to his left, Naruto saw Itachi rapidly approaching, his Sharingan activated and the three tomoe in each of the eyes spun counterclockwise at a rather fast pace.

-Inside the Dust Crow Genjutsu-

Once again today, Naruto mentally cursed himself as he saw the surrounding area change from a destroyed courtyard to a dream-like scenery. The illusion projected him up in the air in an inverse- colored forest with a lake underneath him, the sky and clouds took on a dark-orange hue, the clouds being slightly darker than the color of the sky, and hundreds of crows flew around him crying out to distract his sense of sound.

"Dammit, a Genjutsu." Naruto muttered to himself, "So you've come to capture me?" Naruto asked, his voice seething in rage at the Uchiha.

"No... I didn't. I just came to talk to you." Itachi replied, his voice remaining indifferent.

"Like I'd ever trust you!" Naruto countered, anger still present in his voice.

"You're already under my Genjutsu." Itachi stated, his voice echoing from all sides.

"Dammit!" Naruto yelled as he tried to swipe at the crows that circled him. As he swiped at the crows, they began to condense together to reveal Itachi floating near him, his expression remaining stoic.

"I'll say it again." Itachi's voice echoed, "I just wanted to talk to you for a moment."

-Back Outside of the Dust Crow Genjutsu-

Naruto's eyes widened for half a minute before he fell forward and hit the ground with a thud, the effects of Itachi's Genjutsu effectively paralyzing him for the time being. Kisame, having finally recovered from Naruto's Bunshin Daibakuha, got up using Samehada to support himself.

"Heh... That brat sure did put up a fight..." Kisame said as he got over his exhaustion.

"Hn." Itachi said.

"Now then, time to hack off a few limbs. I'm sure he won't mind." Kisame said, his smirk returning to his face. He raised Samehada up off the ground, and swung in a downward slash at Naruto's barely conscious body. As the massive blade neared its target, a familiar scythe blocked the potentially fatal strike.

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that." Ruby exclaimed as she defended the near unconscious form of Naruto, having just arrived at the source of the explosion sounds. Eventually pushing the large abnormal blade back, she pulled the trigger on her sniper-scythe, and shot out a sniper round. Kisame jumped back to avoid the potentially deadly projectile, but wasn't quick enough to not be injured, as the bullet grazed his face, leaving a shallow wound.

Ruby fired off more sniper rounds at the shark-like man, who evaded the bullets having learned that these small, but fast, projectiles were as bad as wind-coated kunai. As he narrowly dodged a seventh bullet, he jumped back once again, only this time to dodge a punch from the blond blur that was Yang. As Yang continued her assault, Kisame kept evading her punches. Jumping back, Kisame formed ten handsigns as water condensed around his right hand.

"Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique)!" Kisame cried out as the condensation of water around his right hand took the form of a great white shark. Thrusting his water shark hand forward at Yang, said blonde girl used the momentum of firing her shotgun gauntlets to push herself out of the way of the incoming elemental attack.  
As the blond sister of Yang was pushed back by Kisame's water shark, said nukenin had to evade yet another strike, this time from Weiss's custom rapier.

At the same time as Yang and Weiss were assaulting Kisame, Ren and Blake engaged Itachi in combat. Weaving in and out of Blake's assault with Gambol Shroud (katana form), Itachi brought up a kunai to block the seventh strike, his three tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly. Jumping back, said Sharingan user evaded a strike from Ren's dual trench knife-pistol hybrids. The duo continued their assault on the stoic Uchiha, every strike countered or evaded.

"I believe it's about time we wrap this up, don't you agree Itachi?" Kisame said as he dodged Yang and Weiss's attacks.

"Hn." Itachi said, replacing himself with a kage bunshin using a Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique), and muttered a familiar jutsu.

"Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)." Itachi's clone muttered, as less than a second later he exploded, sending the surprised Blake and Ren back to the ground.

In the aftermath of the explosion, three familiar faunus jumped near Ruby and now recovering Naruto. The three formed a sort of formation around the two as they got into fighting stances.

Fu's six insect wings and tail had sprouted from her back as she held her tonfa-submachine guns in their gun forms, taking up a Horned Beetle Kata. Han held his battleaxe-shotgun up in a Mountain Defense Kata. And Roshi had both his gunblades drawn and was in his Saru-Iwa Kata.

"Hmm? Well, this is certainly interesting, don't you think so Itachi?" Kisame said, a smirk on his face as usual.

"Hn." was Itachi's response, "We should report this to Leader-sama."

"Oh no you don't!" Fu yelled as she charged at the two nukenin, firing off bullets from her hybrid tonfas. Roshi formed four handsigns, before inhaling sharply.

"Yōton: Shakugaryūgan no Jutsu (Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique)!" Roshi called out as five globs of lava shot out of his mouth at Itachi and Kisame. Both Akatsuki members leapt away from the incoming projectiles, weaving in and out of lava bullets and lead bullets.

As the criminal duo made their escape, Itachi turned his head to face the six students of Beacon Academy. His Sharingan morphing from its three tomoe to a red eye with three spiralling curves around the pupil. As his eyes changed into Mangekyō Sharingan, blood came flowing down his face, originating from his eyes.

"Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination)." Itachi murmured quietly, but the three Jinchūriki heard him speak. Han grabbed Naruto's unconscious body while Fu grabbed Ruby, both pulling their two friends out of the way as black flames covered the area they stood seconds ago. As the Beacon Academy students evaded the flames of the Amaterasu, the two nukenin made their escape.

By the time the six students had recovered from the attack, the Itachi and Kisame were long gone.

"Dammit!" Roshi yelled out in frustration.

"How could they find us out here?" Fu asked.

"Maybe we didn't cover up our trail as well as we thought." Han suggested.

"No, maybe someone else knew about this place." Roshi argued.

"Can someone tell me what just happened?! Who were those people?" Ruby asked.

"Akatsuki." Naruto mumbled, Ruby looked down at the injured blond, "Those two... they're part of an organization called Akatsuki..."

"Aka-what now?" Yang asked, unsure of how the pronunciation was.

"It's Akatsuki." Roshi answered, "Last I heard, they were just a mercenary group that Iwagakure hired sometimes."

"No. You guys haven't been to the Elemental Nations in a while." Naruto said.

"Elemental Nations?" Ren asked, "I've never heard of this place."

"So what _has_ the Akatsuki been up to since we left?" Han asked,ignoring Ren's question.

"They're in simplest terms a group of hunters." Naruto replied, "Specifically, they're _hunting_ nine specific people." Finishing his statement, the three

Jinchūriki's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! Why?!" Fu asked, slightly panicked at the news.

"I...I don't know. The only reason I know they're hunting us is because I encountered those two before I came to Remnant. If it weren't for Ero-Sennin arriving to stop them I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be alive right now." Naruto answered.

"Okay, can someone _please_ explain what's going on?! What's this _Elemental Nations_ and _Ero-Saiyan_ thingies that you guys are talking about?!" Ruby asked, demanding to know what this whole problem was all about.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise." Naruto replied as he attempted to stand up.

"First things first, what are we going to do about these weird flames?" Blake asked, motioning to the still burning black flames of the Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination).

"Duh, just pout some water on it, that'll douse the fire." Yang answered as she started walking to the nearest source of water.

"No don't! Those are the flames of the Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination), they won't stop burning for seven days and seven nights or until they've consumed their target." Naruto explained, effectively stopping Yang from trying to douse the flames with water.

"Well then what _do_ we do about them?" Weiss asked, slowly inching away from the black flames.

"I think I have something that can contain them, but I left it our Team's room." Naruto replied.

"Where exactly did you leave it?" Han asked.

"Next to my bed there's a small cabinet. It's an orange scroll, about two-thirds the size of my forearm." Naruto explained, Han nodded his head and leapt off to the dormitory, surprising Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Ren.

"What the heck?!" Weiss exclaimed at the sight of Han leaping away like it was nothing.

"What kind of semblance was that? Better yet, what kind of semblances did we just see?" Blake questioned.

"That wasn't a semblance." Roshi explained, "That was chakra."

"Katra?" Ruby asked.

"Chakra. It's the manifestation of the combination of ones' physical and spiritual energy." Roshi answered, "And with this combination, our energy can be manipulated into techniques that can take the form of different elements, like you just saw beforehand."

"But that kind of energy has never been recorded in Remnant." Weiss stated.

"That's because it was never from Remnant." Naruto said.

"I've got that scroll you wanted." Han said, having just returned from the dormitory. Handing the scroll to Naruto, said blond Jinchūriki unraveled the scroll.

"I never thought I would need to use one of these scrolls, but it pays to be prepared." Naruto said, having fully unraveled the scroll.

"What's a scroll with some scribbled lines supposed to do?" Weiss questioned.

"Fūka Hōin (Fire Sealing Method)!" Naruto exclaimed as the black flames of the Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination) were sucked into the empty circle section of the scroll, leaving no trace of the black flames, much to the shock of the five non-shinobi students, "You were saying?" Naruto sarcastically asked.

"Hey guys!" a voice from behind them shouted. Turning around, the students saw Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha along with campus' security, "What did we miss?"

-Ten Minutes Later, Professor Ozpin's Office-

"So let me get this straight. You guys-" Yang started, motioning to Fu, Han, Naruto, and Roshi, "-are from this place called the Elemental Countries-"

"Elemental Nations." Roshi corrected.

"Right, the Elemental Nations, where you ran away from this group of people that are hunting you for something you have or know." Yang stated.

"It's not something we like to talk about." Han explained.

"Why not?" Pyrrha asked.

"Because back then, people where we came from feared us for something we had no control over." Fu replied, "We all came here to escape prejudice like that."

"But what about those people who attacked you?" Ruby asked Naruto.

"They're part of the group that is hunting us. Where we come from, there are certain ranks a shinobi would get to measure their strength, from E-SS, E being the lowest and SS being the highest. Only one person has ever been labeled a SS shinobi." Naruto explained.

"Who would be that strong?" Weiss asked.

"My father..." Naruto mumbled, looking down at his feet, surprising the room's occupants.

"But what does this ranking system have to do with the people who attacked you?" Ruby asked.

"Every single person in Akatsuki is an S class nukenin, which is the same as being a wanted criminal." Naruto finished, "Each and every one of them is extremely powerful in their own way and wanted for various crimes."

"What did those two do?" Blake asked.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, the blue skinned guy that looks like a shark, is wanted for attempting to overthrow a government and for numerous assassinations." Naruto stated, "And the other one... Itachi Uchiha, he..."

"He what?" Yang asked abruptly.

"He... he's wanted for the massacre of the Uchiha clan, the only survivor being his own brother, Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto said grimly, causing the non-shinobi occupants of the room to gasp in shock.

"That's not our most pressing matter right now." Roshi said in a serious tone, Han and Fu nodding in agreement, "The four of us came here to escape our past with the Elemental Nations. And now they've found us."

"And?" Weiss asked, unsure of what the monkey faunus's words were leading to.

"Now that we've been found, we have to go into hiding again. We have to leave Beacon Academy." Roshi said.

Chapter End

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-Omake, Team Gai's first C-Rank Mission in the Land of Tea-

"Urrrggghhh." Lee groaned out, feeling nauseous at just being on the boat, "Gai-sensei, the unyouthful power of the water is too strong for my youthfulness!"

"Eh? A bit of seasickness ya got there? Don't worry I got the perfect medicine for that." Team Gai's client, Kenji, said.

"Yosh! What youthful medicine will help the youthfulness of my youthful student!" Gai exclaimed more than asked.

"This." Kenji said, pulling a small bottle out of his right sleeve, causing Gai's eyes to widen.  
"Yosh! If it will help my youthful student's flames of youth to burn brighter, I shall allow it!" Gai exclaimed, causing Kenji and Team Gai (for obvious reasons this is excluding Gai and Lee) to sweatdrop at the man's/their sensei's antics.

Pulling out a spoon from the same sleeve, Kenji poured some of the 'medicine' onto it until it was filled. He then proceeded to shove the spoon into Lee's mouth, causing said person's eyes to widen in shock. After swallowing the 'medicine' his eyes became slightly droopy and started to hiccup.

"Yosh! *hic* that medicine is very *hic* manly!" Lee exclaimed as he got up, nearly falling over himself at random, causing the two sane members of Team Gai to start panicking. Not because of any nearby enemies leaking large amounts of killer intent, but because Lee hadn't said anything about 'youth', just 'manly'.

"You *hic* Neshjiiii." Lee slurred out, "Let us have a *hic* MANLY FIGHT!" After finishing the slurred and drunken sentence, Lee charged at Neji, giving no time for the branch-family member of the Hyuuga clan to react.

What resulted was either the most one-sided fight, or the most ridiculous fight in the history of Konoha. Lee was stumbling around, throwing drunken punches and kicks at Neji while the rest of the members of Team Gai, Gai included, tried to stop the drunken brawler that Lee had become.

The fight had lasted for a good two hours, Lee spouting out every now and then his 'manliness' or how 'manly' something was.

In another anime universe, a large, muscular man with tanned skin and white hair sneezed. Said person was then hit in the back of the head by a flying beer mug.

Now, a regular person would be knocked out and slightly bleeding from being hit with a beer mug, but said person just got back up and joined the large brawl that had broken out, shouting about how 'unmanly' it was to hit someone when they weren't looking and spouting other nonsense that used the word 'man' or words in relation to it.

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**Post Notes**

**Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndddddddd Done! I still haven't figured out how to work a poll on this website, but at least I got it up and running for the time being. If you want to vote for one of the choices, there's a link to the poll in my profile, at the top of the profile to be precise. The next few chapters I'm planning will be in relation to the Narutoverse arcs. If you read carefully, then you'll be able to figure out which arc the story is pertaining to the Narutoverse, as there is one jutsu in this chapter that is only seen once in a certain arc pertaining to the Akatsuki. If you can figure it out, you'll get an internet cookie and a shoutout in the next chapter.**

**The end of the school year is coming up, what I consider to be the end of the school year is when Regents and Finals are finished. Anyone else looking forward to summer vacation? I sure am.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read, Review, Relax, Rest, and have a great summer to all those who are also finishing the school year!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	10. Chapter 10- Toads and Farewells

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I worked on this chapter faster than my previos ones just for a special occasion, despite not being a part of it: Graduation. I still have two more years before I actually do graduate, but I'm posting this chapter to those who are graduating this year.**

**Happy Graduation Class of 2014! Good luck in college.**

**Just this Tuesday I finished the last of my testing, and I'm exhausted mentally. I got a cramp in my neck near the end of each test as I was looking down at my test.**

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**Currently, here is the poll vote numbers:**

**-Mystery Option #1- 1**

**-Mystery Option #2- 4**

**-Mystery Option #3- 9**

**-Mystery Option #4- 7**

**-Mystery Option #5- 7**

**28 votes so far, my previous offer of revealing hints on the Mystery Option with the most votes has now been changed. ****If the poll gets 50+ votes by the next chapter, then I will give hints as to what the most voted for Mystery Option is.**

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**And now onto the reviews of your reviews:**

**Anon- I'm not going to have Team RWBY and Team JNPR learn to use chakra for two main reasons: One, because chakra coils develop better at a younger age, they are too old to actually have a use for chakra and chakra coils, and two, because not one member of Team RHFN is qualified to teach the concept of chakra.**

**Karlos1234ify- It's nice to know that some people got the reference to Fairy Tail I made last chapter. And as for Team RHFN, the only way for them to become full faunus would have been for them to have been born as faunus.**

**Guest- NarutoxFu is already a thing, a NarutoxRuby pairing is uncommon and near uncharted territory, which is why I chose it. The Mystery Options are meant to be, as the name implies, a mystery so as people don't steal the ideas I came up with, blame my paranoia.**

**OBSERVER01- Naruto shall never learn how to counter the omake so long as the omake remains entertaining! Mwahahahahahaha!**

**HellsMaji- In chapter 2, specifically Naruto vs. the Beowolf, Naruto just came from travelling across an ocean, through an infinite storm mind you, and most likely was exhausted both physically and mentally from the use of kage bunshins and manual labor. Add in the fact that he had to travel through a forest yet you still expect him to be the Energizer Bunny? As for him agreeing to go to school, it was to better integrate into society and gather intel compared to him turning the offer down and attempting the same thing.**

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**So in honor of finishing up testing, in honor of the start of Summer Vacation, and in honor of the graduating class of 2014, I bring you chapter 10 of The Maelstrom Hunter!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-Professor Ozpin's Office-

"What?!" was the collective cry of the room's occupants, save for Fu, Han, Roshi, and Professor Ozpin, the latter only raising an eyebrow.

"You all heard me." Roshi stated, "Team RHFN (Archfiend) has to disappear."

"But why?" Ruby asked in protest.

"If two nukenin from the Elemental Nations can find us, it will only be a matter of time until more people find us." Roshi said, "To them, we're just weapons to use at their beck and call, which is why we left in the first place."

"If we stay here instead of going into hiding, more shinobi will find us. And this academy will become a warzone for people trying to capture us." Fu finished, leaving the students and headmaster in silence as they contemplated the insect-faunus girl's words. It was about a minute later that the silence was broken.

"If I were to allow you four to leave, what would you do?" Ozpin asked, his voice remaining a neutral tone.

"What? You can't really be considering this Professor Ozpin, they're our friends." Yang protested.

"It's not up to you. This is for them to decide." Ozpin countered, all eyes turning to the four Jinchūriki.

"I agree to going into hiding for the time being." Roshi said.

"As do I." Han said.

"Same here." Fu added, all eyes ending up on the blond fox faunus as he appeared to be in deep thought.

"I... I agree..." Naruto stated with a hesitance and sorrow in his voice, "More and more people will come after us, and I'm not willing to risk everyone else just for the sake of not being captured..." And with that, the blond Jinchūriki shuffled out of the room, followed by his three teammates.

After leaving the headmaster's office, Naruto's shuffling turned into walking, and eventually running. As he approached the entrance to the Emerald Forest, he pumped chakra into his feet and took off toward the cliffside. The sun had just begun to set, giving the sky a red-orange hue as light reflected off the trees giving them an emerald-like shine that the forest was named for. Said blond was momentarily reminded of the events of his exile three years ago. He had finally come to have a peaceful life, good friends, ambitions, but now all that he had achieved from his time since he was exiled was for naught.

Finally arriving at his destination, the blond slumped onto the ground as tears streamed down his face, no longer able to hold back his sadness.

"**Kit...**" the Kyuubi started, feeling his container's sadness.

'Dammit, even this far away from the Elemental Nations, I'm still one of their targets.' Naruto thought, 'Now what will I do?'

"Naruto!" a feminine voice cried out from the distance. Turning around, Naruto saw the fast approaching form of Ruby coming towards him.

"Hey Ruby." Naruto said, sadness laced in his voice. Ruby shot another bullet from Crescent Rose to get the momentum to be launched towards the blonde Jinchūriki. Landing on the nearby ground, Ruby went over to Naruto.

"I'm sorry, but it's for the best of everyone that I go away." Naruto said.

"But what about you?" Ruby asked Naruto, said blond being oddly quiet.

"I... I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me." Naruto said. The two stayed quiet after that, watching the sun set over the horizon.

"Will I ever see you again?" Ruby asked, Naruto responded by giving a small smile and a thumbs up.

"You can count on it, I promise. And Naruto Uzumaki never breaks his promises!" Naruto said lightheartedly.

The sun had just now finally fallen below the horizon, the sky's red-orange hue becoming a dark red-violet color. Ruby, knowing that Naruto would be gone for some time, felt herself becoming a bit bold. She leaned over to the blond fox faunus and gave him a small kiss on the lips. Time seemed to stop for the blond as he was taken by surprise by Ruby's actions, but eventually he relaxed and began to kiss back. The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but it fel like a blissful eternity for the two. When the kiss broke, both Naruto and Ruby had a small blush and a smile on their faces.

"Come back in one piece." Ruby said, Naruto could only nod his head in agreement, dumbfounded at Ruby's actions, in a good way too.

After a few minutes, Ruby got up and went back to the academy, the sky had turned dark, the only sources of light being the fractured moon and the stars above.

_**(Play Nagareboshi ~Shooting Star~ ) [For those who don't know it, this is the first Naruto Shippuden ending]**_

_Sora wo miagereba_

_Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru_

_Kono hoshi no hitotachi mitai ni_

_Samazama na hikari wo hanatte_

Naruto lied down on the grass and put his hands behind his head, using them as a makeshift pillow as he stared up at the shining stars, pondering the day's events, specifically the kiss.

_Sono naka de boku mo_

_Hitoki wa kagayaite itain da_

_Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau_

_Nagareboshi ni yume wo takushite_

Ruby kissed him, her lips to him tasted like sweet strawberries. He may have gotten a whole lot smarter, but that didn't mean he wasn't still oblivious to feelings from the opposite gender.

_Koko wa itsumo no kouen_

_Yakei ga mieru_

_Suberidai no ue_

_Mukashi kara boku no tokutouseki_

But now that he thought about it, all those times that she had a blush on her face around him, the small hugs, laughing at his corny jokes and quips, their friends somehow finding ways for the two to be either close or alone together.

_Nayami ga areba koko ni kurun desu_

_Ano koro no mama yume no tochuu de_

_Ima de kanaerarezu ni irun desu_

_Moshikashite koko ga mou shuuten_

Naruto then thought about his own feelings for Ruby. She loved him, but did he love her back?

_Nante yowane wo haite shimaisou na hi mo aru_

_Demo sono tabi ni omoidasu_

_Nagareboshi wo sagashite ano hoshizora_

_Chiisana koro no negaigoto wa _

He was always felt his face warm slightly around her, indicating he blushed when she was around. Every time he looked at her, he felt his heart beat faster. Every time she laughed, it made him smile. Every time they were alone or intimately close, she gave him butterflies.

She loved him, but did he love her back?

_Ima mukashi mo kawaranai mama_

_Sora wo miagereba_

_Hoshitachi ga hora matataiteru_

_Kono hoshi no hitotachi mitai ni_

'Yes.' Naruto thought, 'I do love her.'

_Samazama na hikari wo hanatte_

_Sou sou dakara boku mo_

_Hitokiwa kagayaite itain da_

_Me wo tojite kokoro ni chikau_

_Nagareboshi ni yume wo takushite_

_**(Song End) [Remember that this version is not the full original version, it's the one used in the anime]**_

Standing back up, Naruto proceeded to pump chakra into his feet and leap off in the direction of Beacon Academy. When he got to the campus, it was eerily quiet, save for the sounds of the gentle breeze and a few nocturnal creatures. Naruto then proceeded to return to his team dormitory, being as quiet as possible as to not wake any of the other students.

Reaching his room, he quietly opened the door to the sight of his other three teammates packing up. Fu, Han, and Roshi all looked up from what they were doing to see who had entered their room. Seeing as it was Naruto, the three resumed packing all of their items.

Naruto went over to his bed and pulled the top drawer of his bedside cabinet out, revealing five different scrolls. Grabbing three of the scrolls, the blond fox faunus tossed each of his teammates one of the scrolls. Grabbing the scrolls thrown at them, they each looked up to their team leader.

"Those three are spare empty sealing scrolls I made, hopefully you guys know how they work and find use of them." Naruto said, returning to packing all his unsealed items into one of the two remaining scrolls, the other scroll containing the black flames of the Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination).

Soon enough, all the members of Team RHFN (Archfiend) had packed their items and personal belongings, and proceeded to head out the door one at a time, Roshi was the last person who was still in the room. As he walked through the doorway, the monkey faunus paused and took one last look inside their dorm room. With a heavy sigh, Roshi left the room and closed the door.

-Beacon Academy Main Entrance-

The four Jinchūriki proceeded to the main entrance of Beacon Academy, the very same entrance that they walked through on their first day. The four faunus stared at one another silently as if having a mental conversation. Minutes passed as the night continued on.

"So this is it, isn't it." Naruto said, breaking the silence that permeated the air.

"Actually, Fu, Han, and I are going to stick together. Watch each others backs." Roshi stated, getting nods of agreement from Fu and Han.

"What are you going to do?" Fu asked her blond teammate.

"I think I'll take refuge in my summoning contract's realm." Naruto said, having heard of Mount Myōboku from the toads every now and then.

"You have a summoning contract?" Roshi asked, "Is it with the foxes?"

"No, I'm with the toads." Naruto answered, surprising the other three, "What made you think I had the fox summoning contract?"

"Well, one of the perks of the deal with Son was the apes summoning contract." Roshi said.

"I signed the beatles summoning contract." Fu added.

"I'm aligned to the horses summoning contract." Han stated.

"By the time I made my deal with the Kyuubi, I had already signed the toads summoning contract." Naruto said.

Silence filled the air once more, lasting for over half an hour. Roshi, Han, and Fu all turned to the east, preparing to leave.

"I guess this is goodbye." Roshi said to Naruto, offering up his hand raised in the form of a fist, to which Naruto returned the gesture by giving him a fist bump.

"This isn't goodbye, it's just see ya later." Naruto said, a small smirk on his face. After saying their goodbyes, Naruto watched as his three teammates leapt off in an eastward direction.

Once they were out of sight, Naruto bit down on his thumb hard enough to draw blood. Naruto did the boar, dog, bird, monkey, and ram handsigns in that order and threw his hand onto the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" Naruto quietly called out as a puff of smoke covered the area. When the smoke cleared, a large, orange toad with purple markings around his eyes, mouth and stomach.

"Yo Naruto." the large toad said.

"Hey Gamakichi, hows it going?" Naruto said.

"This summoning seems a bit early considering the usual monthly summoning for news from Jiraiya." the now identified Gamakichi pointed out.

"Something came up. The Akatsuki have found me." Naruto said, his face becoming serious, Gamakichi's as well. "You think now is a good time to visit Mount Myōboku?"

"I'll have to inform the elders, it's up to them whether or not to allow you into our summoning realm." Gamakichi said, "Summon me back in about five minutes or so, give or take a couple of minutes." Naruto nodded his head, and with that, Gamakichi went back to his summonings realm to discuss this with the elders.

Ten minutes passed when suddenly Naruto felt himself being pulled into a different location. Disappearing with a poof sound and leaving a cloud of smoke, Naruto Uzumaki left Remnant.

-Mount Myōboku-

With a poof of smoke, Naruto appeared on Mount Myōboku. The sun had just risen above the horizon, mountains and mushrooms of various sizes loomed overhead. Looking around, Naruto noticed a few toads of varying sizes walking... erm... hoping around?

Before Naruto could continue taking in his surroundings, he was whacked on his head by a small cane wielding green toad with white hair styled in somewhat of a mowhawk, very thick eyebrows, and a small goatee wearing two capes, one high-collared, the other more simple.

"Ow!" Naruto cried out, rubbing his head in pain.

"Naruto it's good ta see ya boy!" Fukasaku said, whacking Naruto over the head with his cane again.

"Then why are you hitting me?!" Naruto comically sobbed, only to get hit over the head a third time.

"Because ya haven't the slightest bit of heads-up or so when coming to Mount Myōboku!" Fukasaku replied.

"Pa! Stop whacking the boy over the head!" another voice called out.

"Why should I Ma?! The gaki needs a stern whack!" Fukasaku, also known as Pa, yelled.

"That doesn't mean you have to whack him over the head three times!" the now identified Shima, or Ma, yelled.

Soon enough, the elder toad couple got into a long, heated argument that lasted for nearly half an hour. Their argument would have continued had it not been for a very loud cough of attention from Gamakichi.

"Oh right! Welcome to Mount Myōboku!" Pa said **(I'm just gonna call Fukasaku Pa and Shima Ma from now on)**, "And ya came at a good time too! Ma was about to make breakfast!"

-One Horrid Breakfast of Various Bugs Later-

Naruto appeared to be gagging on something, his skin was a slick pea green, and had several new lumps of bruises that sat upon his head. With a shudder he fell onto the ground in a curled up fetal position.

"It wasn't that bad? Was it Pa?" Ma asked.

"Well of course it was! Ya nearly burnt the bug casserole !" Pa cried out.

"It wouldn't have been burnt if ya didn't bring me to Kichi to get the boy!" Ma countered.

"Please, not again!" Naruto comically cried out, only for his exclamation to fall unto deaf ears.

"Well Kichi said it was urgent!" Pa retorted.

"Why are we arguing again?!" Ma yelled.

"I don't know!" Pa replied.

"Weren't you gonna tell the boy something!" Ma yelled in an argumentative voice.

"I think so!" Pa responded in an equally argumentative voice.

"What were you going to tell me?" Naruto asked, both Ma and Pa turning to him.

"Oh right! Forgot you were here." Pa said, causing Naruto to facefault at the statement, "It took some convincing from Gamakichi and Ma, but we've come to an agreement."

"Which is?" Naruto asked.

"We believe that it is time for you to learn to be a toad sage, to learn senjutsu." Pa replied, his expression turning serious.

-With Jiraiya and Tsunade, ENCT (Elemental Nations Coastal Time)-

"This Akatsuki leader is in Amegakure, correct?" Tsunade asked, downing another glass of sake.

"Yes." Jiraiya replied.

"But that place conducts thorough checks of anyone entering and exiting their territory, and they track how long visitors stay." Tsunade stated, "Just preparing for the Joint Chunin Exams is difficult each time because the village is so closed off to others. Doesn't seem like a place where the Akatsuki leader can move about freely."

"However... because security is so strict, they're able to keep other nations from learning about their internal affairs, and hence, keep a lid on any shame." Jiraiya explained.

"Shame?" Tsuanade inquired.

"It seems that land has seen much internal strife, and the village itself has been split into two." Jiraiya stated, "Word has it that the leader of one side is also the leader of Akatsuki."

"That land is surrounded by the three great nations of Earth, Wind and Fire." Tsunade said, "And from ages past, it has been the battleground of their conflicts. As a result, there has never been domestic stability and the number of refugees is continually on the rise."

"That is why I will infiltrate and verify the information we have gathered." Jiraiya said, "Then we can plan strategy..."

"It's too dangerous to go alone!" Tsunade exclaimed, concerned for the idiotic self-proclaimed super pervert.

"I am one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. You know what that means as well." Jiraiya said, causing Tsunade to look away.

"I'm sorry... that you always get the short end of the stick." Tsunade said, causing Jiraiya to laugh.

"What's with you?!" he asked, still laughing.

"I'm saying, you were supposed to be Hokage. The Sandaime Hokage always wanted you to be the next to-" Tsuande started, but was cut off by Jiraiya.

"I was never cut out for that sort of thing. Being on my own suits me too well..." Jiraiya stated.

"You regretted not being able to stop Orochimaru. So all that time, you were tracking his movements alone, isn't that right?" Tsunadesaid, Jiraiya remained silent, thinking back on their fellow Sannin's death. He didn't die by hunter nin, nor did he die in combat, but Orochimaru had succumbed to the effects of his own jutsu, unable to find a suitable host to house his soul.

"I no longer need to do so." Jiraiya said, before a smile found its way onto his face, "That means I get to release the sequel to my novel sooner."

"Fact is stranger than fiction, isn't it?" Tsunade said, staring at her reflection in another glass of sake.

"Who would have imagined that Orochimaru would die..." Tsunade said, "Remember how the three of us would go up against Sandaime-jiji and..."

"The flat-chested Tsunade has become the big-bosomed Hokage! Times are changing by the second." Jiraiya said, "You were beautiful back then... and now, you're a fifty-something old granny. It pains me to see how all the memories of your lost friends and loved ones are stored inside that big breasts of yours. And you know, the number will continue to grow." Jiraiya finished, surprising Tsunade and downing another glass of sake.

"I guess I shouldn't wallow in sadness. My duty is to be a model for the next generation and to help them. For that, I'd happily give my life." Jiraiya stated, "It's what makes us old folks cool, see?"

A few minutes later, after paying the tab for food and sake, we find the two remaining Legendary Sannin in the alleyway outside the restaurant. Tsunade vomiting from too much sake, Jiraiya rubbing her back.

"Your drinking habits are worse than mine... Want to stop and rest somewhere?" Jiraiya asked, the duo moving from the alleyway to a park bench.

"Akatsuki... The leader is capable of organizing a group so powerful... Who knows how strong he may be?" Tsunade questioned, "You'll be walking right into the enemy's territory."  
"Well then... I should set out." Jiraiya said, getting up from the park bench.

"Come back alive..." Tsunade said in a whisper, causing Jiraiya to look back at her in slight surprise, "If I lost you too... I..."

"You'll cry for me? That'll make me happy!" Jiraiya said in a cheerful tone, "But I doubt that it'll be like the time Dan died."

"You idiot!" Tsunade said.

"Then how about making a bet with me?" Jiraiya asked, catching Tsunade's attention, "You bet that I will die. After all, you always lose." he said, leaving Tsunade's mouth agape in surprise, "But if I make it back alive..." Jiraiya stated, his face turning serious before laughing, "Joking! I'm just joking! You know, I'm grateful to you. Rejection makes a man stronger." Jiraiya said, pulling out a copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "In other words, you can't call yourself a real man unless you can laugh off stuff like that. Better yet, make a joke out of it."

"So a man's duty is to be strong?" Tsunade questioned.

"Kind of... And besides... men aren't the only ones who seek happiness." Jiraiya said cooly.

"Humph... Stop trying to act so cool. Without a woman, you guys can't be rejected." Tsunade said, causing Jiraiya to laugh.

"That's so true." Jiraiya said, a short silence following after.

"If anything hapens, contact me through your toad. I'll rush over myself." Tsunade offered.

"No need for that. You must not leave here. The village relies on you now." Jiraiya said.

"There are other candidates for Hokage." Tsunade pointed out.

"There can be no stability if the Hokage keeps changing. Right now, you are th only one who can be Hokage." Jiraiya stated.

"There's Kakashi." Tsunade offered, "And eventually, there's also Naruto..." Jiraiya chuckled a bit.

"You're really sold on Naruto, aren't you?" Jiraiya asked, "Kakashi is to lazy and late for everything, and Naruto... I doubt that the council would even agree to letting him back into the shinobi ranks, let alone becoming Hokage. Although, I can understand... Your kid brother Nawaki... Your sweetheart Dan... And Naruto too... I guess you could say they chased the same dream. Sure, Kakashi can step in. But Naruto will be near impossible." Jiraiya finished.

"You still have high hopes for him too..." Tsunade commented.  
"Yeah... I wonder how the gaki's doing?" Jiraiya said, "My intel on Akatsuki has shown they sent two of their members after him."

"Do you think that he'll come back?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know. From his letters that I've gotten over the years, it seems as if he's happy wherever he is." Jiraiya replied. Their conversation continued until the sun had set.

"One last warning." Jiraiya said, "Beware of ROOT."

"Yeah... I know." Tsunade replied, Jiraiya nodded his head and started walking away.

"Ah... Good then." Jiraiya said, walking in the direction of Amegakure. He raised his right hand up in a thumbs up, "Farewell." he said as he walked away, tears falling down Tsunade's eyes as she watched him walk away.

Chapter End

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The Maelstrom Hunter- Remnants of the Past

Part III- The Corruption of the Crown

Queen Kaguya cried, balling her eyes out as her heart broke at what she had to do. For every power, there was a price to pay. In this case, the price for the power of the Shinju was her sanity.

At first, it was not noticeable, her marriage and family was perfect. She and her husband were in a loving and committed relationship and had two wonderful children. But soon enough, she started hearing the Shinju's will, its voice becoming more frequent and vocal each day. Soon enough, her memories began disappearing, the Shinju was destroying her soul piece by piece.

In her fit of insanity, she had mortally wounded her husband. When she recovered enough sanity to regain control, she had seen the damage she had done. To ensure that she wouldn't hurt her own flesh and blood, she planned to send Hagoromo and Julius into exile to the farthest region of her kingdom, so as they wouldn't see their mother lose her sanity and injure her own two sons, or worse, have them become influenced by the Shinju as well.

So now, here we find the two sons packed and sent away on a carriage. Kaguya watched as her two sons left, when the carriages were out of sight she broke down crying once more. An hour passed before she stopped crying.

When she stopped crying, Kaguya rushed through their castle, heading for the family room as she felt more of her memoies slip away bit by bit. Arriving at the family room, she sat down on one of the chairs, holding a family picture in her hands. It was a simple picture, Hagoromo and Julius smiling like goofballs and Kaguya and Arthur holding each other smiling. All of Kaguya's memories were nearly gone as she held onto the last of her memories as long as she could.

'My two sons... who... who were they?' Kaguya thought as tears fell down her face once more, staring into the picture in her hands, 'Hagoromo... Julius... I must... protect... them?...' she thought, the last of her sanity disappearing, 'Mother will protect you...'

On that day, the Shinju reclaimed the power that the princess had taken, along with its wielder. But it could not destroy all of her soul, as a mother's desire to protect her children remained... She would protect her children from the world... By destroying it...

Side Story End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAAANNNNNDDDDD DONE! I did it! I pulled off a chapter in the shortest time I've done so far. On a side note for the chapter ENCT (Elemental Nations Coastal Time) is comething I came up with in regards to the fact that in the real world there are time zones, so why no the same in the Remnant-Elemental Nations world.**

**I also remembered that there are two side stories I made that I gotta work on, so here's part III of the first one, the next chapter should take a bit of time as I want to relax a bit before continuing writing, and also don't forget to vote for any of the five Mystery Options. The link to the poll is on my profile so vote if you haven't already.**

**Anyways guys, this has been the next chapter of TMH, I'll see you next time!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	11. Chapter 11- Of Shinobi and Safehouses

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooo people! CrimsonKyuubiSage here, bringing you the next chapter of TMH. I've got more time to write this story now that Summer Vacation has officially begun, so expect some more chapters! Also, happy Fourth of July to everyone!**

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**So far, here's the poll vote count:**

**-Mystery Option #1- 3**

**-Mystery Option #2- 5**

**-Mystery Option #3- 13**

**-Mystery Option #4- 11**

**-Mystery Option #5- 10**

**I think I'll close the poll in about a week or so and announce the chosen Mystery Option in the next chapter.**

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**And now, to review the reviews that you reviewers reviewed:**

**Karlos1234ify- Thank you for the compliment on the Naruto x Ruby scene, truthfully this was my first time writing a scene like that, so I hope I did well. And to comment on your hopes of Team RHFN keeping their heads down, as if. These are the main protagonists we're talking about, Murphy's Law follows them around like a lost puppy!**

**Deltablacknruto- Yeah, I know Hagoromo's brother is called Hamura, not Julius. But that little fact wasn't known when I tried to figure out Hagoromo's brother's name, so I had to improvise from before Kaguya said his name.**

**enjox27- I figured I'd make Kaguya's story explain why the heck she's so psychotic mother mode in the more recent Naruto manga chapters. And as for the story following canon, who's to say that Pein is **_**going**_** to attack Konoha, *hint, hint* [insert mischievous giggle].**

**OBSERVER01- ... A wha? Naruto and Ruby aren't dead. If that's what your implying.**

**GreatZero- I won't give Naruto the fox contract because despite being in a not-as-hostile relationship than canon with Kurama, that doesn't mean that Kuruma is just going to give him the fox contract, plus Naruto is already aligned to the Toads.**

**Uh- I already covered this, Hamura's name wasn't known until chapter 679, when I began The Maelstrom Hunter: Remnants of the Past, I was using the basis of chapter 670 where Hagoromo mentioned having a brother that helped him fight the Juubi.**

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**And now, I give you the next chapter of TMH! Happy Fourth of July!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto, RWBY, or Nightmare Before Christmas.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-With Roshi, Han, and Fu-

Roshi, Han, and Fu leapt from the tree branch they were currently on as they continued forward with their journey. When they had first arrived in Remnant, the thought of people being sent to retrieve them had crossed their minds. Over four years ago, the three Jinchūriki had agreed that should their current location be found by Iwa, Taki, or any other shinobis that they would go into hiding. And during their first year in Remnant, they had set up or commandeered certain locations and buildings that they had designated to be safehouses.

With their closest safehouse being five hundred kilometers south by southeast of Beacon Academy, the three continued on their path towards 'Safehouse Foxtrot', being careful to avoid the nearby Grimm as they jumped from branch to branch.

-With Naruto Retrieval Team (Team Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai)-

The eleven Konoha shinobi leap from tree branch to tree branch following the very faint chakra trail that Naruto had left, heading northeast following Neji, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba, those four being the only ones able to pick up on Naruto's trail.

"How much farther?" Choji asked.

"About three hundred-" Neji started before his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Tenten asked, noticing Neji's startled revelation.

"There are three large chakra signatures headed our way!" Neji exclaimed.

"I'm also sensing secondary chakra signatures alongside those three." Hinata stated.

"Jinchūriki? Out here?" Yamato questioned.

"It could be possible." Sai said, "Then again, it may not. But we should prepare for the worst."

"Sai is right." Yamato agreed, "It is likely that we will cross paths with whoever these people are, so its best that we prepare for anything."

Getting nods of agreement, the eleven members began to prepare themselves for this inevitable encounter.

-With Roshi, Han, and Fu-

The three continued their journey to 'Safehouse Foxtrot', focusing mainly on the trail ahead of them.

"**Ny****ūji** (infant)!/**K****oruto** (colt)!/**Y****ōchū** (larvae)!" Son Goku, Kokuo, and Chomei exclaimed, catching the attention of their hosts.

'What is it Son?/ Kokuo?/ Lucky Seven?' Roshi, Han, and Fu asked individually.

"**There's a group of eleven chakra signatures headed this way**." The three bijuu exclaimed, "**About eighty kilometers to your right**."

"Guys." Roshi said.

"I know." the two other Jinchūriki said in unison, all three preparing to fight. Roshi pulled one of his gun-knife hybrids out of its holster, Han grabbed his waraxe-shotgun off of his back, and Fu pulled out both of her tonfa-submachine guns in their tonfa form and manifesting her six insect wings and tail.

-With Naruto Retrieval Team (Team Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai)-

The members of the Naruto Retrieval Team, according to their four trackers, were coming closer and closer to the three chakra signatures.

"Forty-eight... Forty-four..." Neji mumbled, continuing his countdown for about five more minutes, "Ten... Seven... Four... Two..."

Finishing his countdown, the eleven Konoha shinobi stumbled across three individuals, all three having some unique animal-like trait. Roshi, Han, and Fu analyzed the eleven shinobi in front of them, the Konoha shinobi doing the same to the three Jinchūriki.

"... Konoha shinobi?" Han questioned quietly, only loud enough for the two people next to him to hear, having recognized the leaf-like symbol on their headbands.

"They're probably after Naruto." Fu softly replied.

"Who are you guys?" Kiba asked out loud.

"Refugees, who are you guys?" Roshi replied.

"We're-" Kiba started, only to be hit over the side of his head by his Hyuuga teammate. Looking back at Hinata, he noticed that she had a look in her eyes that said 'shut up right now'.

"We're searching for a friend of ours." Shikamaru said, "His name is Naruto, do you by any chance know him?"  
Finishing his question, Shikamaru noticed how the three of them tensed up slightly, the mint-green haired girl slightly more so than the other two.

"No. No, we haven't." Roshi replied quickly, causing Shikamaru's eyes to narrow.

"You're lying." he pointed out, performing the necessary handsigns for the Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique).

"Now Ino!" Shikamaru called out, having caught the three faunus in his jutsu. Nodding in response to Shikamaru, the blond did the handsigns for the Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Switch Technique). Finishing the last handsign, the blond kunoichi slumped over as the jutsu transferred her mind into Fu.

Searching through the mint-green haired girl's consciousness, Ino began searching her memories for anything related to Naruto.

_Flashback Start_

_-Emerald Forest-_

_"Yo!" a voice behind Fu yelled, turning around, she saw a blond haired teen with three whisker marks, fox ears, and a tail waving lazily at her._

_"Hey! Aren't you the guy who had the motion sickness?" Fu questioned, making the blond fox faunus facefault._

_"At least I didn't throw up." the blond fox faunus countered._

_"So," the blonde started, attempting to change the subject, "I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki."_

_"Nice to meet you," she said, "I'm Fu."_

_"Likewise."_

_Flashback End_

Before Ino could continue searching through Fu's memories, she felt a presence pushing her out of the girl's mind. Before she was fully pushed out of Fu's mind, she saw a giant beetle with six wings and a tail.

"**Sorry, but there is no vacancy at this time**!" the beetle cried out, kicking Ino out of Fu's mind.

Having returned to her body, Ino let out a gasp as the information set in.

"Naruto's here!" Ino exclaimed, "I wasn't able to get a location though."

The ten other members' expressions became a mixture of surprise and of victory. Momentarily distracted, the three Jinchūriki sent out a pulse of demonic chakra, breaking the Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Imitation Technique). Forming four handsigns, Roshi took a sharp breath.

"Yōton: Shakugaryūgan no Jutsu (Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique)!" Roshi cried out expelling large globs of lava that rapidly solidified into large projectiles. Yamato performed the Rat, Dog, and Tiger handsigns in that order in response.

"Mokuton: Mokujōheki (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall)!" he cried out as wooden pillars sprouted from the ground to form a dome-shaped shield, just in time to block the globs of lava that were shot at them. As the wooden pillars sank back into the ground, the Konoha shinobi noticed the retreating forms of Roshi, Han, and Fu.

The eleven shinobi leapt after the three in pursuit, seeing as those three were their most recent lead on Naruto. Following the three to nearby clearing, the Konoha shinobi noticed that they stopped in the middle of the clearing.

"Well," Roshi started, his back, along with Han and Fu's, turned to the Konoha shinobi, "this is where we part ways. Have fun with the beowolves."

And with that, the three Jinchūriki jumped away. The Konoha shinobi were about to pursue, but an animal-like growl was heard from behind them. Turning around, the eleven shinobi noticed the four large menacing wolf-like creatures looming over them. Dodging the swipe of one of the creatures' claws, the eleven members of the Naruto Retrieval Team scattered as to avoid the incoming attack.

"Hakke Kūshō (Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm)!" Hinata and Neji cried out, sending bursts of air at the large Grimm, barely making a scratch on the surface of their fur, causing the two Hyuuga clan members to have their eyes widen in shock. Yamato used his Mokuton (Wood Release) to restrain two of the Grimm, Choji used his clan's jutsu expand his hand and swipe away the third beowolf, and Sai sent his ink animals to assist Neji and Hinata.

"We have to retreat!" Shikamaru yelled.

"What! But-!" Kiba started.

"Kiba, a tactical retreat seems to be the most logical decision right now." Shino interrupted.

"... Fine." Kiba finally conceded.

With everyone in agreement, the eleven shinobi leapt into the trees to evade the beowolves.

-Mount Myōboku-

Naruto was in a meditative pose, his face slightly scrunched together as he concentrated on his Senjutsu training. Currently, his training was going along smoothly, having only nearly transformed into a toad statue on at least seventeen different occasions. Following Pa's instructions, Naruto soon felt the natural energy around him, and attempted to pull this energy into his own body. His features began to morph into more toad-like features as his face scrunched up more.

"Whack!" was the resonating sound of Pa's cane hitting Naruto's skull, causing the blond fox faunus to fall over.

"Ow!" Naruto complained as he rubbed his comically bruised head.

"You're doing it wrong! Ya can't force it into your body!" Pa exclaimed.

"Alright, alright! Jeez." Naruto said, resuming the task at hand. Returning to his meditative state, instead of tensing up and trying to force the surrounding energy in, he let his body relax. He began to feel the natural energy flow into his body as he felt relaxed and at peace.

"Whack!" again, the sound of Pa's cane comically hitting Naruto upside his head resonated throughout the land.

"Ow!" Naruto exclaimed once more.

"Ya can't lose focus less ya want ta be a toad statue!" Pa yelled.

"That's enough for now." Ma exclaimed, walking (-err, hopping?) towards Pa and Naruto, "Lunch is ready!" That statement caused Naruto to pale slightly at the mention of Ma's cooking, which consisted of various bugs both dead and alive.

-At the Outskirts of Amegakure-

Jiraiya was sneaking through the urban terrain as rain poured nonstop, occasionally having to hide or conceal himself from random Ame shinobi patrols. Along the way he had encountered two Ame shinobi, one of which had been sent to Konoha to have a 'nice' and 'friendly chat' with Ibiki Morino, whilst the other he had used as a guide through Amegakure up until a few minutes ago, his guide unwilling and unable to proceed any further.

Continuing down the long corridor, Jiraiya momentarily stopped walking. Paper began to fly around him circling the area in front of him as the small pieces of paper began to connect, forming a body-like shape. The connected paper soon began to have color on it, taking the form of a woman with short blue hair, amber eyes, lavender eye shadow, a labret piercing, a large light blue paper flower was worn in her hair, and a stoic expression was plastered on her face. The bottom half of her body was still paper while the top half had the Akatsuki cloak.

"Hello, sensei..." the woman said, her expression remaining neutral.

"Konan..." Jiraiya said, shock evident in his voice.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Tenten in Weaponland-

The Naruto Retrieval Team had tracked Naruto's trail, leading them to the urban terrain that by far surpassed that of Amegakure's. The group decided to split up into their teams, Sai and Yamato forming their own team. The sun had set about an hour ago and the annual Vale Weapons Convention had lit up the street with various weapon enthusiasts.

Following Team Gai, Lee, Neji, and Tenten all walked down the city streets until...

_**(Play Instrumental to What's This) [Without singing because this is a parody version of it]**_

Tenten's eyes widen as the author appeared before Team Gai.

"Chosha rirīsu: Myūjikarunanbātekunikku (Author Release: Musical Number Technique)!" CrimsonKyuubiSage cried out as a violet ball of light was shot at Tenten. With a grin and a wink, the author disappeared as various hunters with no definitive facial features appeared and pretending to mingle appeared.

_What's this? What's this? There's weapons everywhere._

_What's this? There's lead things in the air._

_What's this? I can't believe my eyes, I must be dreaming,_

_Wake up Ten', this isn't fair._

_What's this?_

Neji and Lee could only watch with a comical expression of shock as the weapon's mistress of their team started spontaneously breaking into musical number as she leapt around the large crowd of hunters and huntresses ignored her antics, seemingly unaware of the girl.

_What's this? What's this? There's something very wrong._

_What's this? As people walk along._

_What's this? The streets are lined with different weapons,_

_Everybody seems so happy_

_Have I possibly gone daffy?_

_What is this?_

_What's this?_

At this point, Neji facepalmed and Lee could only watch in silence as their most sane team member was prancing around singing a parody song.

_There's children throwing explosive balls,_

_Instead of smoke pellets_

_They're busy with their weapons_

_But absolutely no one's dead._

_There's dust on every window_

_Oh, I can't believe my eyes!_

_And I can't help but feel the thrilling chills_

_At the sight..._

At this point the music had slowed down slightly, as Tenten examined a random hunter's machine gun-sword hybrid. But then the music went back to its original tempo.

_Oh look!_

_What's this?_

_This one has a tanto, _

_That's sweet!_

_Why that looks so unique,_

_Inspired!_

_They're gathering around to hear a story_

_About their many strange tales._

_What's this?_

In the spur of spontaneous musical number, Tenten had managed to leap around five blocks.

"Hey Lee, Neji!" Ino exclaimed as the rest of Team Asuma followed behind her.

"What's gotten into Tenten?" Choji asked, being the first of Team Asuma to notice Tenten's antics.

"Don't ask." Neji groaned out.

Soon enough Tenten was found outside one of the many Dust shops.

_What's this?_

_In here, there's magazines and dust._

_How weird._

_And who would ever think?_

_And why?_

_They're selling it with tiny little vials_

_They've all got happy little smiles_

_And there's a weapon on each person,_

_So now, correct me if I'm wrong_

_This looks like fun!_

_This looks like fun!_

_Oh, could it be I'm having fun!_

_What's this?_

Without using chakra, Tenten, in a feat of parkour skill, was able to get up to the second floor and hang outside a child's window.

_Oh my, what now?_

_The children are asleep_

_But look, there's nothing underneath._

_No knives, no kunais here to block and defend_

_Or slash or kill, only little cozy things_

_Secure inside their dreamland..._

The music slowed down once more, causing Neji, Lee, and Team Asuma to sigh in relief, hoping it was finished.

_What's this?_

Apparently, it wasn't finished, causing the remaining members of Team Gai and Team Asuma to facefault.

_The shinobi are all missing_

_Yet there's weapons all around._

_And in their place there seems to be_

_Good feeling all around._

_Instead of silence, I swear_

_I can hear music in the air._

_The smell of smokes and leads are absolutely everywhere..._

The music's tempo began to slow down, Neji, Lee, and Team Asuma holding their breath in anticipation as they hoped that the song was finished. Only to exhale loudly as the song continued.

_The sights, the sounds_

_They're everywhere and all around_

_I've never felt so good before_

_This happy feeling inside of me is filling up_

_I simply cannot get enough_

_I want it, oh, I want it_

_Oh, I want it for my own_

_I've got to know_

_I've got to know_

_What's this place that I have found?_  
_What is this?_

"87th Annual Vale Weapons Convention...? Hmmmm..." Tenten murmured, seeing the words 'Welcome the the 87th Annual Vale Weapons Convention' plastered on a banner that hung above the strret she was on.

_**(Song End)**_

Rapidly blinking, Tenten fell out of her daze and started looking around.

"What the heck happened?" Tenten asked out loud.

"You don't want to know." Neji groaned out.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD DONE! Sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, this is probably the shortest chapter that I've written so far, but don't worry. The next chapter will definitely be longer. Hopefully you guys like the omake, it took me an hour or so to come up with the lyrics. If you don't like it then oh well, everyone's opinion is different.**

**I can't wait to start writing the story idea hidden behind the most voted for Mystery Option, I'm so excited! I know I said it at the top of the chapter, but I'll repeat it again, ****the poll closes in about a week, give or take a few days, so if you haven't voted yet, vote!**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys later! Peace out, and happy 4****th**** of July!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	12. Chapter 12- The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeellllllllllllloooooooooooooooo people! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! You know, from what I've written so far, there seems to be a trend of very long first chapters. Every chapter one that I've written so far has gotten to be more than 8k words, *Hint*Hint*, *Wink*Wink*, *Nudge*Nudge*.**

**The poll has officially closed and the votes are in:**

**-Mystery Option #1- 4**

**-Mystery Option #2- 7**

**-Mystery Option #3- 15**

**-Mystery Option #4- 13**

**-Mystery Option #5- 16**

**55 votes total.**

**It was a very close call, but -Mystery Option #5- came out as the winner. In a few days time, I'll post the first chapter of the story idea hidden behind the words "Mystery Option #5"! I'm so excited to write this idea! Mwahahahahahaha!**

* * *

**And now on to the reviewing of your reviews:**

**Cross177- Last chapter's omake with Tenten, I knew it had to happen, it wasn't avoidable. The lyrics were somewhat troublesome creating, as I wanted to have similar rhythm, rhyme, and relation to the events that conspired in the scene using a parodied version of "**_**What's This?**_**" from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.**

**Guest- Oh dear sweet irony indeed. Sweet, cruel, but unintentional irony. Heh, heh.**

**Karlos1234ify- Like I just said, sweet, cruel, but unintentional irony. I like the omake idea, but that doesn't mean I won't tweak it a bit when I use it. Guest above had a similar idea for an omake, so I'll give you both credit when I do that omake.**

**OBSERVER01- Hmm, that's a good question. Truthfully it could go either way, maybe I'll flip a coin to decide it.**

* * *

**And now, I present you the next chapter of TMH! The ballad of the toad hermit, the self-proclaimed super pervert, one of the legendary Konoha no Sannin, the gutsy ninja, Jiraiya the Gallant!**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Amegakure-

"Konan..." Jiraiya said, a small smirk appearing on his face, "You've honed your jutsu magnificently. But even more, you've become quite a catch!" Konan showed no reaction to the words of her old sensei, "I thought you had died... Instead, you turned into a flimsy sheet of paper." Jiraiya's face turned serious, "Who is Pain?"

"It's none of your business, Sensei." Konan replied, her body levitating upward as paper gathered around her and took the form of a pair of wings.

"And that makes you an angel...?" Jiraiya asked, "Does putting on an act like that have its benefits?"

"I have received orders from our god. I will kill you." Konan said. Using her paper wings, Konan shot out paper at her former sensei, which was met halfway with a large stream of fire Jiraiya shot out. Konan's paper barrage eventually overpowered Jiraiya's fireball and the self-proclaimed super pervert strafed right and shot out oil.

"Gamayudan (Toad Oil Bullet)!" Jiraiya called out as a stream of oil shot from his mouth at Konan, effectively covering her in toad oil. Forming the snake handsign, Jiraiya's hair extended to Konan and wrapped around her body.

"Can't spread your wings with all that oil, can you?" Jiraiya stated, "You used to love origami, and you were the kindest among the three kids. What became of the other two? Nagato... and Yahiko?" he asked, reminiscing on his other two former students, "I heard they had died. Were they just rumors too?" the question caused Konan to slightly narrow her eyes.

"I see... So this Pein is one of them, eh?" Jiraiya concluded.

"What's your purpose? Appearing before us after all these years..." Konan asked.

"That wasn't my intention. If you all hadn't been part of the Akatsuki..." Jiraiya stated, "I heard that you had dies. I never expected this."

"I bet now you're thinking you should've done what that Orochimaru suggested back then..." Konan said, causing Jiraiya to reminisce back to when he first met the trio, "You saved us instead. But it's too late now. We've embraced his ideology and made our move."

"I don't regret letting you live at all." Jiraiya said, "But I'm so disappointed. I taught you ninjutsu to enable you to live through those harsh times. You were all, without a doubt, my students. The world may still be a cruel place, but to attack me without a greeting... This is so sad." he stated, "For a few years after that time, I heard your names mentioned. You had made a reputation for yourselves in a few confrontations, but I heard later that you had died."

"You know nothing about what happened to us afterwards." Konan said quietly.

"No, I don't. But why the Akatsuki?!" Jiraiya asked, "What the Akatsuki is doing is wrong!"

"That is the decision I've made... Jiraiya-sensei." Another, more masculine voice said. Looking up, Jiraiya saw a man with orange hair held in a high ponytail, multiple black piercings, and a pair of Rinnegan eyes.

"You look very different. But those eyes..." Jiraiya stated, "So you were Pein... Nagato! It seems you've strayed off the path off good. What happened?"

"You don't need to know. After all, you are an outsider." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"You've changed, Nagato." Jiraiya said. Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein formed one handsign.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" he said, summoning forth a giant shellfish with black rod piercings. Said giant shellfish shot out a torrent of foam at Jiraiya, causing him to release Konan to dodge the attack.

"Whoa!" Jiraiya exclaimed, narrowly dodging the blast, using chakra to stick to the wall. 'Foam! Leave it to my student to know my weakness!' Jiraiya thought, 'He intends to wash away the oil.'

Konan levitated out of the foam, her body now complete with a few outlines of paper and cleansed of toad oil.

"Konan, stay back." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, dispelling his summon, only for that same summoning beast to be resummoned beneath Jiraiya. The giant shellfish leapt out of the foam at Jiraiya.

"Ranjishigami no Jutsu (Wild Lion's Mane Technique)!" Jiraiya yelled out after forming the snake handsign, his hair expanding and entrapping the giant shellfish. Pushing the shellfish back, the summoning beast dispelled itself. A large mane of white hair with a mouth shot out of the smoke at Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, ensnaring the Rinnegan wielding walking corpse.

"Nagato... I want to ask you a few things." Jiraiya said, "What happened to Yahiko?"

"Oh yeah... There was such a guy, wasn't there?" Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, causing Jiraiya's eyes to narrow, "He died a long time ago."

"Nagato... You...?! What happened to you? The old you wouldn't-" Jiraiya said.

"Nothing... Just war." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "Too many people die here. That pain made me grow up."

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked.

"Even a stupid, foolish kid will grow up when he learns what pain is." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "Knowing pain controls one's words and thoughts."

"But abandoning one's love for a friend. Is that what it means to become an adult?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Sensei... You are still just a man. However, through this never-ending pain, I have matured and become even more than a man." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"What?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Yes... From a man... to a god." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein stated, "When one becomes a god, your words and thoughts become absolute. Sensei, since you are human it can't be helped if you don't understand what I'm saying."

"Have you become that twisted?" Jiraiya asked.

"Things I couldn't see when I was human are clear to me now that I am a god." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "And being a god, I realize that there are things I can do which man cannot. To put it simply, evolving beyond man."

"Just what are you planning to do?" Jiraiya questioned.

"I am going to put an end to this senseless, war-torn world. That is a god's work." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein stated.

"If that is your purpose, why are you gathering Bijuu?" Jiraiya asked.

"You are going to die anyway. So I shall tell you the true purpose." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein stated, "I will use the sealed Bijuu to develop a new Kinjutsu. With just one such jutsu, a large nation can be destroyed instantaneously. It will be the most powerful, the ultimate Kinjutsu weapon."

"How will making such a thing end the fighting?" Jiraiya questioned, pointing accusingly at Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, "Won't it simply intensify the conflicts?"

"There are disputes throughout the nations. How would you put a quick end to them all, Jiraiya-sensei?" Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein countered.

"That is my question to you! Answer me!" Jiraiya yelled.

"You give each warring nation a Kinjutsu weapon. Once they possess such a power, they are bound to use it." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein replied.

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked.

"Tens of millions will die instantly and people will become scared." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "People... and nations will learn what pain is! That fear will breed a strong aversion to war and the fighting will end. It can be said that this world is still in the process of growing and stabilizing. Pain will make the world mature in the same way that I matured. In order for the world to grow up and become wiser, a god's hand is necessary. The world is still a child."

"Teach the world pain in order to make it grow up... Do you believe that is your work?" Jiraiya questioned.

"Yes... because I am the god of peace." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein proclaimed.

"You've gotten good at telling jokes... Nagato." Jiraiya said, a smirk present on his face.

"Joke? I'm not joking." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "My ideal is..." Before he could finish, a poof of smoke appeared where Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein was, when the smoke cleared, a log was in place of Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein.

"Over here, Sensei." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein called out, looking at the source of the voice, Jiraiya noticed Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein's location.

"Is that you're next summoning?" Jiraiya questioned, his hair receding back into its original length.

"To me, you are a small existence which never matured." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said as the smoke cleared to reveal a giant chameleon with one Rinnegan eye, the other eye bandaged, and giant black peircing rods protruding from its body. His statement caused Jiraiya to laugh as he jumped towards Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" Jiraiya called out as his form was covered in a large veil of smoke, "A kid treating me like a kid! Well, I'm no longer human either! These tears of blood, overflowing with rage! I went from the Sannin to Sage! The Monstrous Toad of Mount Myōboku!" Jiraiya exclaimed, striking a pose, "I am Master Jiraiya...!" he started, only to fall over as Gamaken, the giant toad he summoned, stood up, making his fall look very comical.

"You haven't matured at all... You're just as clumsy as before." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein pointed out.

"Hey! Gamaken-san! Don't jostle around during my juncture!" Jiraiya complained, the smoke clearing to reveal a large dark red toad with black markings wearing a black kimono and fishnet shirt wielding a circular shield and a sasumata.

"I'm kind of clumsy..." Gamaken said.

"Against this foe, there shall be no playing by ear! I'm coming at you with full force!" Jiraiya exclaimed, biting down on his hand strong enough to draw blood, made two curved lines from his eyes to the side of his face, and clapped his hands together. Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein jumped on to the chameleon summon's tongue.

"I'm using the Honored Sage Mode!" Jiraiya proclaimed.

"What?! You don't mean-?!" Gamaken quietly exclaimed.

"Yes indeed! I'm summoning the two great sages!" Jiraiya said, "However, it's going to take some time to summon the two of them. And I cannot release my hands during that time. I'm counting on you. Buy me some time until then!"

"All right. Clumsy as I am, I shall try." Gamaken said. Seconds later, the chameleon summon activated its camoflauge and disappeared.

"He vanished. What a bother... Where in the world did he find such a creature?" Jiraiya asked, "Now that he's made himself invisible, we've got to use Barrier Battle Arts."

"Hmm... He's a hard one to battle." Gamaken said. Jumping up, Jiraiya tapped twice with his geta and whipped his hair in a circular motion. Causing a light green sphere of light to expand from his body.

Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein looked down at Jiraiya from his hiding spot, taking notice of the barrier Jiraiya was forming.

"As I recall, this is a barrier ninjutsu that senses and alerts any intrusion across its boundary." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "In that case..."

Looking around for his target, Jiraiya heard the sound of a poof of smoke. Looking above him, he noticed a three headed dog-like creature charging at him.

"He saw the barrier and switched to a strong offensive critter!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "Gamaken-san!"

"Right! Clumsy as I am, here we go!" Gamaken said, holstering his shield on to his back and leaping at the three headed summoning beast. Gamaken leap closer and closer to the three headed summon, thrusting his sasumata at the creature, effectively pinning it to the nearby wall, the creature struggling against its restraints.

"You're quite skllled!" Jiraiya said to Gamaken.

"Not at all... I am clumsy." Gamaken replied. Suddenly, the three headed beast split into three different beasts, each with one head. Leaving one to be pinned by Gamaken's sasumata while the other two charged at the giant toad. The one pinned by the sasumata became small enough to escape its trapped state, reversing its head so that instead of being on its back it was laying flat on its stomach and then split into two other beasts.

"Wh-What is this?!" Jiraiya exclaimed, shocked at seeing the three headed beast he was fighting split into three smaller beasts. His shock was short lived as Gamaken had to jump out of the way of one of the beasts. Leaping from his spot, Gamaken reached for his sasumata, he was able to grab the weapon to defend himself, but was injured in the process by one of the strange summoning beasts. Gamaken jumped away once more to dodge an attempted attack from one of the beasts, but was assasulted once more by three of those beasts after landing, the shield on his back taking most of the attack. Leaping away once more, Gamaken threw the shield off his back and wrapped around a length of pipes, leaving him dangling for a second before pushing himself on to a nearby wall. Pulling his shield back from where it was dangling, Gamaken defended himself from the onslaught of summoning beasts just in time.

Suddenly four of the beasts merged together, creating a four-headed version of the summoning beast that lunged at Gamaken. Thrusting his sasumata at the beast, the strange beast was split back into four as an explosion of smoke ensued. Gamaken jumped out of the explosion, four of the beasts following soon after. Gamaken soon attacked the four beasts individually, each dispelling in a puff of smoke.

The duo of man and toad soon escaped their assaulters, destroying parts of the areas around them in the process.

"Are you okay, Gamaken-san?" Jiraiya asked, "You think you could do this a bit smoother?"

"But I am clumsy..." Gamaken said as he slowly lost his grip on the pipes he was holding on to.

"They seem to multiply each time you clobber them, I don't even have a clue what it is." Jiraiya stated, part of the smoke clearing to reveal the strange summoning beast, only with ten heads. "Are the doggies bound to a self-replicating Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)?! In any case, we'd better move from this spot. We'll kill one dog at a time! Let's lure them into a small space."

"Right." Gamaken said as the pipe he was holding on to fell, Jiraiya noticing the outline of a giant chameleon. After his feet met the nearest wall, Gamaken jumped from his location as the ten-headed beast split off one of its heads and went after the giant toad.

'So that's the center of the jutsu.' Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein thought.

"Were we able to lose it?" Jiraiya asked, "That should buy us some time." he stated, seconds after finishing the statement, one of the single-headed beasts lunged at Gamaken, the giant toad narrowly dodging the attack, "Or not!"

Gamaken turned to face the summoning beast, the nine-headed beast soon joining it.

"We're surrounded already!" Jiraiya exclaimed, "Incoming! And they're going to split up again!"

The single-headed dog-like summoning beast charged at Gamaken, the nine-headed beast jumping up and splitting into nine as they lunged at Gamaken as well. Said giant toad twirled his sasumata, effectively blocking the incoming dog-like beasts.

"Above you!" Jiraiya yelled, noticing one of the summoning beasts attacking from behind Gamaken. The giant toad jumped from his previous location, the ten summoning beasts giving chase.

-Team RWBY (Ruby) Dormitory-

A sigh escaped Ruby's lips as she worked on her homework, her thoughts preoccupied by a certain blond-haired fox faunus. Specifically the events that happened before Naruto and the rest of Team RHFN (Archfiend) were forced into hiding.

"What's got you so down, sis?" Yang asked.

"Nothing." Ruby shortly replied.

"She's right, something's definitely bothering you, you aren't as peppy as usual." Weiss commented, noticing the usually cheerful girl's lack of, well, cheerfulness.

"Thinking about a _certain foxy blond_?" Yang teased, Ruby's face turning red in embarrassment.

"No." she quickly denied, the quiet, but noticeable, sound of giggling from the girl's sister being the response.

"Something happened between you two. The blush on your face when I mentioned Naruto is a deeper shade than the usual." Yang stated, having analyzed her sister's expression, "No, this tells me something happened between you and Naruto before he left. Something... romantic..." she continued, Ruby beginning to sweat slightly at this tactical side of her sister whilst Weiss and Blake could only stare at the female blond in surprise at her analysis of the situation. "You two... kissed!" Yang exclaimed, a grin plastered on her face as Ruby's blush became an even deeper shade.

"H-How did you find out?" Ruby stuttered out.

"You left your diary unlocked yesterday and I sorta read it." Yang said holding her sister's diary in her hands with a sheepish look on her face, causing the three occupants of the room to facefault.

"Y-Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, quickly snatching the item from her sister's hands.

"I'm not actually surprised, what with the way you two interacted." Blake commented.

"Y-Yeah... The night Naruto left I kissed him and made him promise to come back." Ruby shyly admitted.

"Cheek or lips?" Yang asked.

"L-Lips..." Ruby replied.

"Tongue?" Yang inquired, causing Ruby's face to begin to emit a faint red glow from embarrassment.

"N-No!" Ruby quickly replied, causing her three teammates to giggle. Yang because her sister was so easy to tease, and Blake and Weiss because of the blond girl's question.

"So when do you think they'll be back?" Ruby asked, trying to change the subject, her super blush having leveled out into a small blush.

"I don't know, hopefully soon though..." Yang said.

"It will be." Weiss replied, "After all, they'll have to be present for the upcoming Vytal Festival."

-Amegakure-

Gamaken slumped to the ground in exhaustion, having momentarily escaped the onslaught of those strange dog-like summoning beasts.

"There's no end to this." Jiraiya stated.

"I _am_ trying my best." Gamaken said.

"If they keep dividing, no matter how hard we strike them, it's a waste of our energy." Jiraiya exclaimed. Suddenly, the sound of growling was heard to his left. Turning to the source of the sound, Jiraiya saw the dog-like summoning beast that was pursuing them split into ten single-headed beasts.

"Here already? Damn persistent dogs!" Jiraiya said. The giant dogs lunged at Gamaken, but before they could reach the giant toad, Jiraiya jumped to defend the giant toad using his hair and feet to strike the dogs. "Stupid little...!" he yelled, "Are you alright?!" Jiraiya asked, but got his answer as he saw Gamaken being bit in various places by five of the dog-like summons. The giant toad knocked one of the dogs off of him only for that same summoning beast to pull away his sasumata.

"Gamaken-san!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"I really am... clumsy..." Gamaken said before collapsing on the ground, various cuts and bruises scattered along his body. Jiraiya jumped onto Gamaken's head as he released his hands.

"If you can't move, Gamaken-san, then there's no time to summon the two great sages. I give up." Jiraiya said nonchalantly, "But I'm amazed there's so many of them..." he stated before laughing, his facial expression being replaced with by his usual self-proclamation arrogance face, "But against the Great Toad of Mount Myōboku, you're all nothing but a small snack!" he proclaimed, throwing his hand down as a summoning seal appeared as all ten of the dog-like summons were digested by a room of toad guts, causing them to dispel.

Seeing as his summoning beast was dispelled, Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein and the chameleon summoning beast appeared.

"Gone... Along with the dogs. So he's escaped for now." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"I haven't escaped! Nagato, you're still a novice. Leaving your back open for an attack!" Jiraiya exclaimed, Gamaken thrusting his sasumata forward, catching the chameleon in the forked part before dispelling in a puff of smoke. "You're a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) too?!" Jiraiya questioned.

"Yes, but that's not all." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said, "At the same time... Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" he exclaimed, summoning a giant bird with a drill-like beak.

"Damn it!" Jiraiya yelled as the giant bird came closer and closer. 'It's no good...' Jiraiya thought before Gamaken was pushed back as the drill-like beak impacted against Gamaken's shield. "Gamaken-san!" he yelled, having jumped off the giant toad before the impact against the ground. Jiraiya began to comically run as the drill-beak bird chased after him, laying a bunch of eggs in the process as the bird pulled up.

"What?" Jiraiya said, seeing as how the bird didn't smash against him, instead laying a bunch of weird eggs and pulling up away from the super pervert. The eggs began to emit a strange glow before exploding as Jiraiya narrowly dodged each explosion. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as the egg nearest to his body exploded, sending him to the ceiling as he stuck to it via chakra.

Exiting the tunnel he was in, Jiraiya headed up as the bird flew after him, laying more explosive eggs in the process.

"Yes!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he saw a nearby usable escape route. Climbing through the small tunnel, Jiraiya was able to escape the giant bird as it could not fit. After three or so attempts at pursuing the super pervert, the giant bird flew off to meet the man at the other side of the tunnel.

"You're relieved from duty!" Jiraiya said, having reached the other end of the tunnel to find the giant bird blocking his path, the Jiraiya in front of the bird dispelling in a puff of smoke, revealing it was a Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone). The real Jiraiya took a deep breath before shooting a ball of fire at the giant bird, effectively making the giant summoning beast dispel. "I did it!" Jiraiya exclaimed, before noticing a giant seal array spread over the wall behind him, "Huh?" was all he could say before the wall exploded, revealing a giant rhino when the smoke cleared. 'It's one thing after another... But I'm almost there.' Jiraiya thought, 'So I can't quit now, but... Incoming!'

Finishing his mental ranting, the giant rhino started to move away from Jiraiya. After getting some distance between the man and the giant rhino, said summoning beast turned around and charged at Jiraiya.

"Wha-?! So fast!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Before the giant rhino could slam against the super pervert, Gamaken appeared, using his sasumata to smash the rhino's head into the ground. "Sorry I'm late." Jiraiya said, the giant rhino dispelling itself after the super pervert finished his sentence, causing Gamaken to fall down on to the floor. This Jiraiya dispelled, revealing it to be yet another Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone).

"Good work!" The original Jiraiya said. Gamaken, having hit the floor hard, lied down on his back panting in exhaustion. "I want to attack the caster, but I need to be able to see him!" Jiraiya said, "Don't you think something is strange, Gamaken-san?"

"I-I am... to clumsy to understand what you mean." Gamaken said.

"He who possessed the same pupils as the Rikudou Sennin (Sage of Six Paths) not only mastered every jutsu I taught him, he demonstrated the ability to achieve all six changes in chakra nature. For a single person to do so is unheard of. He was well versed in all the mainstream ninjutsu and mastered them by the time he was ten years old." Jiraiya stated. 'But why...? Why is he only using the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) against me?!' he thought, a bull-like summoning beast appearing in front of him, 'Does he think I am beneath the need for direct confrontation?' Jiraiya mentally questioned.

Seconds later, the giant bull charge at Jiraiya.

"Gamaken-san! You've done enough! I've got it from here, go home!" Jiraiya yelled.

"Alright. Thanks." Gamaken said before dispelling in a poof of smoke.

-Mount Myōboku-

Naruto was meditating, having progressed quite a bit in his senjutsu training. Suddenly, the sound of a poof of smoke broke his concentration. Looking up, the blond fox faunus saw a giant red toad appear with multiple cuts and bruises on his body.

"Gamaken! Where have ya been?" Pa exclaimed, seeing the injuries the giant toad sustained.

"Jiraiya summoned me to aid in his fight against this guy named Pein." Gamaken said.

Suddenly, both Ma and Pa felt a tug in their chakra.

"It seems we're being summoned." Ma said.

"Jiraiya was gathering up chakra to summon both of you before I left." Gamaken stated.

"So he's going to do that." Pa vaguely said. Moments later, the couple disappeared in a poof of smoke.

-Amegakure-

After sending Gamaken back to Mount Myōboku, the giant bull slammed against Jiraiya before slamming the super pervert into a nearby wall. Seconds later, an explosion sent the giant bull flying before being dispelled in midair.

"Lad! Why do you always summon us in such touchy situations like this?!" Ma yelled, "It's no wonder 'Bunta gets so mad!"

"Aw c'mon, Ma. Naturally, Jiraiya-boy has his reasons." Pa said.

"You be quiet, Pa!" Ma yelled.

"It's been a while, and I do apologize for calling you under these circumstances, Boss, Ma'am." Jiraiya said.

"But lad... I thought you said you hated that form, saying it would make you unpopular with the ladies!" Pa stated.

"I can't afford to be particular right now. After all, my foe has the Rinnegan." Jiraiya said.

"Ah... the Rinnegan?!" Ma questioned in shock.

"Someone actually possesses such an eye? Well then, you had no choice." Pa said, "You gotta start being able to go into Sage Mode by yourself, Jiraiya-boy."

"Compared to you, I'm still a novice." Jiraiya said, "So please lend me your aid for just a little while... Shall we begin?" he asked, jumping out of the hole the giant bull pushed him in.

'He went though all that just to summon those two toads...?' Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein mentally questioned, 'No, there's a transformation going on in Sensei himself. Humph, whether it's Orochimaru or Jiraiya, the Sannin each have unique powers.'

"And? Where is the one with the Rinnegan?" Pa asked.

"Your eyes must be degrading with age." Ma said.

"No. He's hidden himself inside a summoning creature that can make itself invisible." Jiraiya stated.

"It's gotta be one of them chameleon species." Ma stated.

"I have erected a probe barrier." Jiraiya said.

"That won't do any good! Let's drag them out using Zessenbaku (Creature Detection Technique)!" Ma exclaimed as she formed a handsign.

"Ma, don't get so excited, you'll get more wrinkles." Pa said.

"Just hush up, Pa!" Ma said.

"But why go so far as to summon us to fight this fellow, Jiraiya-boy?" Pa asked.

"He happens to be a former student of mine..." Jiraiya explained.

"We never knew you had one! Then is he...?" Pa asked.

"Yes." Jiraiya said, remembering the prophecy the Great Lord Elder Toad, Gamamaru, spoke of.

"The child of prophecy? Then why are you fighting him?" Ma asked.

"IT seems he did not grow up in the right direction. And when I heard he had died, I thought he couldn't have been the one." Jiraiya answered.

"In any case, if he is not righteous, you must kill him." Pa said.

"Well, that senile old man probably made up that prophecy. Don't worry about it!" Ma said, "All right let's do it!" she exclaimed as she used the Zessenbaku (Fighting Tongue Bind). "Found him!" she said after a few seconds before the tongue was sent off to its intended target.

"It's fast!" Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein exclaimed quietly, seeing the Zessenbaku (Creature Detection Technique).

"Gotcha!" Ma exclaimed as her tongue wrapped around the giant chameleon and coated it in a yellow liquid, "There we go!" she said as she slammed the beast into the ground, "Pa!"

"I'm on it!" Pa said as a torrent of water shot out of his mouth and sliced the giant chameleon in half, causing it to dispel.

"That's the Rinnegan? It certainly looks like th one mentioned in the legend." Ma said, the smoke clearing to reveal the Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein standing where the giant chameleon was.

"What nasty eyes... I can't believe he's that child of prophecy." Pa said.

'Great Lord Elder... I wonder if this is that moment of selection?' Jiraiya thought.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said as two more people with similar Akatsuki cloaks, orange hair color, and Rinnegan eyes appeared.

'This time he's summoned humans.' Jiraiya thought, "You turned out to be a harbinger of destruction. So as your mentor, it is my duty to take you down!" he exclaimed. 'Three of them? What's going on? How could there be three Rinnegans...?' he thought. "It must be his jutsu, there's some trick to it."

"Just when I was busy preparing dinner..." Ma complained.

"Ma, never mind that. Just focus on the opponent before us!" Pa said.

"What did you say?!" Ma yelled.

"I guess it's about time I made my move!" Jiraiya exclaimed, before starting his usual dance, "From this moment on, let the senjutsu prevail! Loke above, upon the halos and heavenly canopies! Jiraiya the gallant-!" he started, but was cut off by two small fists to the face.

"Quit yakking in my ears!" both Ma and Pa yelled at the same time.

"Ugh! Uh..." Jiraiya groaned out, 'My posturing keeps getting interrupted today...' he thought.

"Let's end this quickly and go home!" Ma said, "I have to get dinner ready!"

"Ma, that guy's eye is more important than dinner! Stay alert! It's the ultimate dojutsu!" Pa yelled.

"Like I care! Don't you dare belittle a housewife's dilemma of what to cook every day, you old geezer!" Ma yelled back.

"How dare you use such a tone against me! I was just looking after you!" Pa countered.

"Don't give me that!" Ma yelled, before long the couple was arguing with Jiraiya unfortunately stuck in the middle.

'Who are the ones yakking into whose ears again?' Jiraiya thought with a deadpanned look on his face.

Before the couple could argue any further, Ningendō (Human Path) Pein launched at Jiraiya, but was knocked back by Jiraiya's foot.

"Not bad..." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"Now then, can we put your spousal differences aside and get this here over with?" Jiraiya said.

"Humph, guess I'll just fry up something." Ma complied before forming a handsign, "Boy, you provide the oil. Pa, you bring the Futon (Wind Release)."

"Yes ma'am!" Jiraiya said, all three of them taking a sharp inhale, "Senpou: Goemon (Sage Art! Bath of Boiling Oil)!" he called out. The collaboration jutsu was absorbed by Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein's Fūinjutsu Kyūjin (Blocking Technique Absorption Seal).

"Did it work?" Ma asked. The smoke cleared to reveal that the three Rinnegan wielders still remained uninjured.

"The oil vanished?" Jiraiya said in shock.

"The ought to have been basted by it." Ma said.

"That one probably has tricks up his sleeve too." Pa said. Jiraiya kicked off his footwear, leaving him barefoot, as his body transformed into a more toad-like body.

"Shall we find out with close combat?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes." Pa replied. As sson as Pa finished his sentence, Jiraiya lunged at the Peins, forming a Rasengan in his hand.

"Chōōdama Rasengan (Massive Spiralling Sphere)!" Jiraiya exclaimed, the jutsu was unfortunately absorbed by Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein's Fūinjutsu Kyūjin (Blocking Technique Absorption Seal). 'He's...! He can absorb an entire jutsu?! So that's what he did earlier...' he thought. Before he could continue his train of thought, Ningendō (Human Path) Pein jumped at him.

"Behind us!" Ma yelled, Pa throwing a smoke bomb in response, effectively blinding Ningendō (Human Path) Pein.

'We got his back!' Jiraiya thought as he threw a punch at Ningendō (Human Path) Pein, who shockingly caught his punch, 'What?! He blocked my Sage Mode attack without looking?!' He mentally exclaimed as he quickly substituted himself with a toad.

"Senpou: Kebari Senbon (Sage Art: Hair Needle Senbon)!" Jiraiya exclaimed, hair needles shooting at Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, but was blocked by a panda summoning beast. Jiraiya leapt back, seeing his surprise attack failed. 'Not a single wasted movement. I would've gotten him if he'd dodged it. Instead he blocked it by summoning without ever turning around. What's going on? Blocking my attacks not just once, but twice! With no verbal signals or eye contact between them at all. Even if all three were sensory types, they still have to see an attack coming in order to counter it. Kebari Senbon (Hair Needle Senbon) is my fastest jutsu with the widest attack range. The only way to defend oneself against it is with a shield as he just did. And he did it without looking. They're no ordinary clones.'

"You said they have a trick up their sleeves, and you're right." Pa said.

"Hmm?" Ma questioned.

"Have you noticed?" Pa asked.

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked.

"When we got their back earlier, you picked the target and attacked from his blind spot, correct? During that time, one of the other guys was watching us the whole time." Pa explained.

"I noticed that too. But there were no signs that they were signaling each other either verbally or with eye contact." Jiraiya pointed out.

"That's it! It's their eyes, all three have the same eyes!" Pa said, "Suppose the three of them can share what they see with each other..."  
"Enabling their eyes to share images with one another." Jiraiya finished, "Is that it?"

"Yes. That's what I suspect. Still, what in tarnation are they?" Pa asked, the three Peins producing black rods in their right hands..

'This is bad, under these circumstances where my ninjutsu are being nullified, to face all three at once is a bit too much. At this rate, if I enter battle, I'll be killed, even in Sage Mode. I never imagined they would be this strong...' Jiraiya thought.

"Fall back for now, Jiraiya-boy." Pa said.

"Yes sir." Jiraiya complied, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"He's escaped into the pipes..." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"Why are we running away?" Ma asked.

"We must analyze the Six Paths and come up with a strategy. And we'll need some time for that." Pa replied, "They may look different, but all possessed the same eye. In short, they all have the Rinnegan of Six Paths..."

"Even if one of them is Nagato, I can't believe there would be so many Rinnegan users crawling around." Jiraiya said, "So what in the world's going on?! Which one is the real Pein?"

"Figuring out the main one isn't the problem. The real problem is the fact that three of them possess the Rinnegan of Six Paths." Pa stated.

"Just who, and what is Pein?" Jiraiya asked.

"We don't know that yet. But we can make a small deduction. Their vision is linked, and they share images. That's the ability those eyes hold." Pa said.

"Which means what, then? And how is it an advantage?" Ma asked.

"Put simply, in the same way that three security cameras show different angles of the same image, those three are able to see three views at one time. So if just one of them can see the target, the other two can counter with the ideal attack, with perfect timing without having to see their foe." Pa said, "In other words, their field of vision is three times better. And unlike the Byakugan, they can always guard each other's blind spots without weaving signs or manipulating chakra."

"No wonder their combination is invincible." Ma stated.

"Which means we have to split them up and fight each one separately. I'm positive I can win one-on-one. Since they possess such eyes, fighting as a team would have to be their basic mode of attack." Jiraiya said, "Taijutsu isn't going to work, and any ninjutsu will just be absorbed."

"If taijutsu and ninjutsu won't work, then it'll have to be genjutsu." Pa said.

"Yes!" Ma agreed.

"But I'm a dud when it comes to genjutsu." Jiraiya stated, "Ah, but as I recall you two were..."

"Yes, if they're former students of yours, Jiraiya-boy, they know that you don't use genjutsu. So that might give us an opening." Pa said.

"No way! I'm not gonna do it!" Ma yelled.

"Wh-What is it?! World peace is hanging on this battle, Ma! This is no time to be selfish!" Pa yelled back.

"I don't care about no old geezer's senile prophecies!" Ma yelled back.

"The great Lord Elder told us to get along, remember?!" Pa yelled.  
"What is it that you object to so much?" Jiraiya asked.

"I cant sing a duet with Pa at this plump ripe old age!" Ma said embarrassed, "It's embarrassing!"

"Huh? A duet?!" Jiraiya questioned.

"Our most powerful genjutsu involves appealing to the auditory senses of the victim through song." Pa explained.

"Auditory senses? I see. That's why we retreated." Jiraiya said.

"Correct, this genjutsu is powerful, but as soon as we make a sound, our whereabouts will be revealed, which is its weakness." Pa stated, "Also, there's the harmony of the sounds. In other words, the genjutsu is placed with a melody. It requires a little time before it takes effect. If they discover our whereabouts before they are caught in the genjutsu and attack, we will surely lose. However, once they are caught in the genjutsu, our victory will be assured." the elder toad finished, the trio happening upon a fork in the tunnel.

"What's wrong?" Pa asked, seeing Jiraiya's movemen, t momentarily halted.

"If both your lives are ever in danger, I want you to free yourselves from my shoulders immediately." Jiraiya said.

"Huh? Absolutely not!" Pa exclaimed, "The fate of the ninja world depends on this battle!"

"I have a plan. Although it is a gamble as well..." Jiraiya stated.

"Do tell." Pa said.

"-Please begin..." Jiraiya said, having explained his plan to the two elder toads.

"Right." Both Ma and Pa replied at the same time, beginning the Magen: Gama Rinshō (Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant), causing the three Peins to stop in their tracks.

"What is that?" Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein asked, "This is... the croaking of frogs... Is this a genjutsu?" he asked before noticing the direction the sound came from, "It's coming from in there." he said as the trio went in pursuit. After finding 'Jiraiya' in front of them, Ma and Pa casting the genjutsu, Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein noticed the real Jiraiya hiding behind them.

'A Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)!' Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein thought in surprise.

"Katon: Dai Endan (Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet)!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he shot out a giant fireball. Like last time though, Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein's Fūinjutsu Kyūjin (Blocking Technique Absorption Seal) absorbed the attack.

'So that's your move!' Gakidō (Preta Path) Pein thought.

'Good! My gamble's a success!' Jiraiya thought, 'That big one went after the jutsu to absorb it! The first fellow only used summoning, while both times, it was the big fellow who absorbed my jutsu. Just as I suspected, each of them possesses only a single type of ability! Tight now, the big fellow's eyes are focused on the jutsu. One, I blinded earlier. So only one of them is looking at me! This one too!' he mentally finished, firing off a fireball at the two approaching Peins, both of which dodged the attack, 'Gotcha!' he thought, Ningendō (Human Path) Pein having been caught in a wall of flesh.

'The dark swamp?!' Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein thought before the effects of the Magen: Gama Rinshō (Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant) began to take a toll on him.

'Just a little more!' Pa thought.

"Now we're really one-on-one!" Jiraiya said as he kicked Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein in the chest, "I'm not letting you summon!" he exclaimed, all three Peins finally being trapped in the genjutsu.

"You got us..." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein said.

"You are inside a genjutsu paralysis that binds your psyche. Now none of your bodies, including you main body will be able to move." Jiraiya said.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I didn't expect a genjutsu like this from you." Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein stated.

"I thought I taught you never let your guard down, no matter who your opponent is, Nagato." Jiraiya said, "You erred in your decision. Rather than rule the world through pain, I wish you had moved past the pain and harnessed your power to bring about peace in a positive way. For just a little while, I believed you were the one... Farewell..." he said. After finishing his sentence, Jiraiya stabbed a stone sword though Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, killing the student he once knew, doing the same to the two other Peins.

"It's done..." Jiraiya said, both Ma and Pa coughing shortly after, "Are you both all right?!"

"This genjutsu is hard on the throat." Pa explained.

"It's real hard keeping tempo with Pa... This jutsu ain't that easy at all!" Ma exclaimed as Jiraiya started walking away from the dead Peins, "Damages the throat! Stretches the lower jaw 'til it sags! Creates wrinkles!"

"My profound apologies. Please take your rest now. For I've made my selection." Jiraiya said, before sharply gasping.

"Didn't you teach me to never let down your guard... Jiraiya-sensei?" A new voice asked. Turning around, Jiraiya saw Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein standing behind him. Not a second later, Jiraiya was sent flying from an explosion.

"Lad! Your left arm!" Ma exclaimed, seeing Jiraiya was now missing his left arm.

"I'm aware of that..." Jiraiya said.

"What's going on?!" Pa asked.

"This one's got a different face than the other three. He was probably summoned earlier." Jiraiya stated.

"I see! Before they got caught in our genjutsu!" Pa said.

"Now then." Another voice, Jigokudō (Naraka Path) Pein, said, six figures jumping out of the tunnel, landing to face Jiraiya.

"In attendance... The Pein Rikudō (Six Paths of Pain)." A second voice, Tendō (Deva Path) Pein, proclaimed.

"Six?! There are six of them?!" Pa asked in shock.

"Hey, look close! The three we just did in are there too!" Ma exclaimed.

"The newly summoned ones must have resurreted them with some sort of jutsu!" Pa said.

"There's even a jutsu that can revive as many as three of them when they were undoubtedly dead?! Are they really human?!" Ma asked.

"Pein... What are you?!" Jiraiya mumbled.

"Pein... That name is an alias that denotes all six of us." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said.

"Why are there six Rinnegan bearers?" Jiraiya asked, before his eyes widened in shock, "Y-You're..."

-Hokage (Fire Shadow) Tower, Konohagakure-

"There's no end to this awful rain..." Tsunade said, observing the rain falling nonstop as she thought back on her last conversation with Jiraiya.

"I'm sure Jiraiya-sama is fine. He, of all people, wouldn't-" Shizune started.

"He's not coming back." Tsunade said.

"Huh?" Shizune asked.

"That's what I bet him." Tsunade answered, turning to her apprentice, a smile on her face, "And I never win my bets."

"Oh, I see." Shizune said before walking away, closing the door behind her.

"What a poser..." Tsunade mumbled as she thought about the super pervert, "When he gets back, I won't let him keep his cool."

-Amegakure-

'That face... Is that you, Yahiko?' Jiraiya thought in shock, "What's going on? I thought you said Yahiko died!" he asked, "Plus, those eyes..."

"You see Yahiko's image in me? You really are his former teacher." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said, "But Yahiko has been dead for quite some time. All that remains... is Pein."

"Quit it with the wordplay! Why do you possess the Rinnegan?!" Jiraiya questioned.

"What are you talking about, Jiraiya-boy?" Pa asked.

"One of my former students is among them. Except he didn't use to possess those eyes..." Jiraiya explained.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Ma asked, "You saying there are two children of prophecy?"

'No, that's not it either... When I saw the Rinnegan, I convinced myself that the first one was Nagato, but he's subtly different from the Nagato I knew of.' Jiraiya thought, 'Come to think of it, upon closer inspection, none of those six remind me of Nagato. On the other hand, one of them resembles Yahiko, but possesses Nagato's Rinnegan. Are you Yahiko... or Nagato?' he mentally asked himself. "Just what exactly are you?!"

"We are Pein... We are god." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said. After finishing his statement, all six Peins leapt at Jiraiya.

"Retreat, Jiraiya-boy!" Pa yelled. Jiraiya, ignoring the elder toad defended himself with taijutsu from the incoming attacks.

'A god?!' Jiraiya thought as he threw a punch at Tendō (Deva Path) Pein, said person catching the punch. "Yahiko! How could you possess Nagato's eyes?!"

"Even if you knew that, you could not win!" Tendō (Deva Path) Pein stated as he threw his former sensei. Whilst Jiraiya was in midair, Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein formed eight small missiles from his hand that shot at Jiraiya, said super pervert narrowly dodging the attacks.

"Lad! Give it up already!" Ma cried out.

"I must find an opening to defeat them, even if it kills me!" Jiraiya said. Tendō (Deva Path) Pein threw his hand out, causing part of the wall nearest to Jiraiya to shoot out at his former sensei. Seconds later, the recently revived Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein was dragged underwater, the five other Peins just looked at the spot where their sixth member disappeared.

"I don't sense his presence..." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said.

Meanwhile, with Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, said person found himself inside a stomach-like area.

"This is... a barrier?" Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein questioned, seconds later the platform he was on broke, causing him to jump away, "Gastric fluid?" he asked. An elongated tongue suddenly wrapped around a nearby pole as Jiraiya came out, a Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere) in his right hand.

"Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!" he called out as said attack hit Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein, knocking him into the pool of gastric fluid below.

"You did it, Jiraiya-boy." Pa called out, but was proven wrong as Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein jumped out of the gastric fluid, a black rod extending from his body that pierced through Jiraiya's remaining hand and his right shoulder before slumping over unmoving.

"Is he dead?" Ma asked.

"I barely managed to kill one... only after dragging it into my barrier..." Jiraiya said before coughing up a small amount of blood.

"Are you all right, lad?" Ma asked.

"Somewhat..." he replied as he broke the black rod in between his shoulder and wrist, "My body... My chakra's agitated!"

"Is it this?!" Pa asked, pulling out the black rod from Jiraiya's shoulder, "Their identity is a mystery, and they seem to use odd weapons too."

"They're no longer mortals, they're something entirely different." Ma said as Jiraiya got the rod stuck in his wrist out.

'That face, he is unmistakably Yahiko... And yet, he possesses Nagato's Rinnegan. Did Yakiko steal them from Nagato for some reason? But there are other Rinnegan bearers as well, so what's going on? Plus...' Jiraiya thought, remembering a conversation he had with Nagato once. "In which case, does that mean he is Nagato?" he mumbled as Chikushōdō (Animal Path) Pein's slashed Ame headband fell to the ground, causing Jiraiya's eyes to widen in shock at seeing a scar on the forehead of the deceased body, "That's right! Now I remember! This one is definitely not Nagato!"

"What's the matter?" Pa asked.

"This fellow before us, I've fought him before." Jiraiya said, "He was a Fuma Clan member I encountered right after setting out on my journey, following the Great Lord Elder's prophecy. I gave him that scar on his forehead..."

"So what's a fellow like him doing here?" Ma asked.

"Now I'm even more confused about this whole Pein mystery." Pa said.

'It can't be... If this is the prophecy...' Jiraiya thought. "I wish to go back and face them in order to confirm something, you two please go back." he said.

"What?!" Ma exclaimed.

"Absolutely not! You will be killed if you go out again! They have more eyes, and they will not fall for the barrier trap twice! They're not on to us in here yet. This is our only chance to make a run for it!" Pa exclaimed.

"I may be killed if I go out there, but I may be able to learn the truth about them." Jiraiya said, "If I let this chance slip by, I don't think there's anyone else who could get as close to Pein. This is our only chance to uncover the truth. Plus... this is the time for selection that the Great Lord Elder prophecized! Boss and Ma'am, please take th intel on Pein we've gathered so far, as well as this corpse and go back. And please tell Tsunade-"

"Ma should be enough for that." Pa said.

"But-" Jiraiya said.

"Just return by dinnertime." Ma stated.

"Yup, when we're done here, I'll bring Jiraiya-boy on over with me, it has been a while since he's seen Naruto face-to-face." Pa stated, Ma nodding her head.

"Thank you..." Jiraiya said, seconds later Ma disappeared in a poof of smoke.

-Mount Myōboku-

After Ma disappeared from Jiraiya's shoulder in a poof of smoke, she soon appeared at Mount Myōboku.

"Ma! What's happening? Where did you disappear to?" Naruto asked.

"Jiraiya summoned us to help him fight a former student of his." Ma answered.

"Wait, he had students before me?" Naruto questioned.

"Four in fact. Three were war orphans that were rumored dead, but I'm not sure that's true considering who we've been fighting just before, and then your father, Naruto." Ma replied before her expression turned serious, "Prepare a medical treatment area, now. Jiraiya lost his left arm fighting this Pein person and will need extensive medical treatment." she commanded, "And get Tsunade here."

"Yes ma'am." was the chorus of replied the toads gave, Gamakichi disappearing in a poof of smoke, most likely to get Tsunade, while the rest of the toads got a medical tent ready.

"Naruto-boy, come here." Ma said, Naruto complying with the elder toad, "I need you to lend me some of your chakra, I don't have enough to do the Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique)."

Naruto could only nod his head as he gave his chakra to Ma as she prepared the Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique).

-Amegakure-

After Ma was sent back to Mount Myōboku, the toad Jiraiya and Pa were currently in released them. Swimming up to the surface, Pa summoned a Fūma Shuriken and threw it at Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein, said Pein dodged the attack, the five remaining Peins began to surround Jiraiya.

'It's just as I thought!' Jiraiya thought as he took a better look at the five Peins, each resembling a person he had encountered previously in his life, 'They're all ninjas that I've encountered before! That's it! I've figured out who Pein is!' Before he could continue his thought, four of the Peins lunged at him, the fifth, Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein, jumped from underneath him, damaging his throat.

'My throat!' he thought in surprise.

"Jiraiya-boy!" Pa cried out.

"You were too late in figuring it out." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said as he and the three other Peins stabbed black rods through Jiraiya's body. Before they could do any more damage, the man, along with Pa, disappeared in a poof of smoke.

-Konohagakure-

Tsunade continued to stare out of the window in the Hokage (Fire Shadow) Tower, watching the rain fall to the ground. Her fixation with the rain was shortly interrupted by the sound of a 'poof'. Turning around, Tsunade saw one of the toads, Gamakichi if she remembered correctly, standing in front of her.

"Gamakichi? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked.

"Jiraiya's been critically injured, according to Ma, so she sent me here to bring you to Mount Myōboku to help with Jiraiya's injuries." Gamakichi quckly replied, causing Tsunade to gasp in shock.

"What's the extent of his injuries?" she asked.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask Ma when we get there." Gamakichi said, "Alright, let's make this quick, hold on to me." the toad ordered, Tsunade complied and held onto Gamakichi as the giant toad performed handsigns, "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique)!" Gamakichi called out as a large puff of smoke enveloped the two. When the smoke cleared, both Gamakichi and Tsunade were gone.

-Mount Myōboku-

"Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique)!" Ma exclaimed as she summoned both Jiraiya and Pa with the help of Naruto's chakra, "Oh dear kami!" she cried out as she saw the injured form of Jiraiya. Five black rods protruded from his back, blood seeped out of his mouth and throat, and his left arm was missing up to his elbow.

'I must let Boss know... about Pein's true identity...' Jiraiya thought.

"Hang in there, Jiraiya-boy!" Pa cried out, Jiraiya barely hearing the elder toad.

"Ero-Sennin!" Naruto exclaimed in worry, seeing the state his mentor was in. Lifting him up, Naruto quickly rushed Jiraiya into the makeshift medical tent the toads set up.

"Naruto?" a feminine voice called out. Turning to the location of the sound, Naruto saw Tsunade standing next to Gamakichi.

"Baa-chan! You got to help! Quickly, this way!" Naruto yelled, motioning to the makeshift medical tent.

"Oh my kami! What happened to Jiraiya?!" Tsunade exclaimed as she saw the state her teammate was in.

"He was fighting these people named Pein, six of them, and they all had the Rinnegan!" Pa answered, causing Tsunade to momentarily pause. The blond busty Hokage (Fire Shadow) had heard the legend about the Rinnegan, but there was no proof of this dojutsu existing. At least, not before today that is.

'It's no good... My throat has been crushed.' Jiraiya thought, 'Damn it... At this rate...'

Setting Jiraiya down on the medical table, Tsunade's hands were enveloped in a light green glow as she began to use her medical knowledge to save her last remaining living teammate.

'It's useless... I'm passing out...' Jiraiya thought, Naruto, Pa, Ma, and Gamakichi at his side as Tsunade continued healing her teammate, 'Am I... going to die? Have I failed?' he mentally questioned himself, 'It's not how you live, but how you die in the shinobi world. A ninja's life is not measured by how they lived but rather what they managed to accomplish before their death. Looking back, my life has been nothing but failures... Continually rejected by Tsunade, unable to stop my friend, and unable to protect either my student or my mentor... Compared to the great deeds of the Hokage (Fire Shadow), my actions are trifling, insignificant things indeed. I wish I could have died like each of the Hokage (Fire Shadow). A tale is only good as its final turn of events, the plot twist.' he thought, 'Failures must be seen as mere amusements! They are trials, which hone your skills. I lived believing that. And in return, I swore I would accomplish a deed so great that it would obliterate all of my failures, and I'd die a splendid ninja! At least, that's how it was supposed to go.' he mentally continued, 'But, with my plot twist... My tale, ending like this... The Great Lord Elder prophesized that I would guide that revolutionary, a person who will make a great choice that will bring either stability or destruction to the shinobi world. I thought I would defeat Pein, stop the Akatsuki, and save the shinobi world from destruction... But in the end, I failed in that selection too. How pitiful, that this will be the twist to "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant." What a worthless story...' he thought as Tsunade continued doing her best to save him, having pulled the last of the black rods out of his back and flipped him over so he was laying on his back.

_Flashback Start_

_"-No, I don't think so. This tale is wonderful!" A tall, blond haired man said. This man was Minato Namikaze, Yellow Flash of Konoha. "Each chapter reads like one of your numerous legendary exploits. It's almost like an autobiography." he said as Jiraiya sat down in the chair opposite to his student, "The main character of this book, I thought his determination to never give up was really cool. He's a lot like you, Sensei."_

_"Y-You think so...?" Jiraiya asked._

_"So I was thinking." Minato started._

_"Huh?" Jiraiya questioned._

_"I really hope my unborn child can become a ninja just like this main character!" Minato said, "Which is why I'd like you permission to name my son after him."_

_"H-Hey! Are you sure? It's just a random name that I thought up while eating ramen." Jiraiya said._

_"Naruto..." A feminine voice said, heading into the dining room was Minato's wife, Kushina Uzumaki. She had red hair like most Uzumakis did and her abdominal region was larger than normal, indicating that she was pregnant, "It's a wonderful name." she said, nodding her head in approval._

_"Kushina..." Jiraiya said, "Cripes, so that makes me his godfather? Are you really sure about this?" he asked with a small chuckle._

_"You are my sensei! And you are a great ninja who possesses the true talent of a ninja! There's no other like you." Minato said._

_Flashback End_

'Yes, that's right! I gave that child...' Jiraiya thought, 'Naruto... Now that I think about it, Naruto, you are just like that novel's main character. You've inherited Minato and Kushina's wishes, their hopes. And yet... I... Never go back on your word and never give up. Naruto, if that is your ninja way, then as your mentor, I have no business whining!' he finished. Tsunade began to heal Jiraiya's throat injury, but was stopped by Jiraiya's right hand holding hers, the blond Hokage (Fire Shadow) getting tears in her eyes. 'For everyone knows that a student inherits his ninja way from his teacher! Isn't that so, Naruto?!' he thought as he tried to stand up.

'He fought his way back by sheer will?!' Pa thought, "Jiraiya-boy!" the elder toad cried out. Jiraiya gave Pa a look, causing the elder toad to nod his head, "Got it!" he yelled, throwing off his cloak and put his back in front of Jiraiya.

Jiraiya lifted his hand, his finger lighting up with blue chakra as he used the Shikoku Fūin (Finger Carving Seal) on Pa's back.

'Never give up... That was the true choice I was supposed to make!' Jiraiya thought as he began to carve a message onto Pa's back, causing pain to the elder toad in the process.

"All right! Message received!" Pa exclaimed, a hidden message carved on his back that read "9, 31, 8, 106, 7, 207, 15"

"A dying message?" Naruto asked.

"He wrote it in code." Gamakichi pointed out.

'Naruto... You are the child of prophecy, I'm sure of it now. I entrust you with the rest!' Jiraiya thought as he felt his life slipping away from him, his vision becoming blurred as the cries of "Jiraiya!" from those around him in concern became quieter and quieter. ' "The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant"... Now it'll end a bit better I hope... The final chapter will be, "The Frog in the Well Drifts Into the Great Ocean." ' he thought, before mentally laughing, 'Not bad... Not bad at all... Now, it's about time I put down my pen... Ah, that's right! What should I name the sequel? Let's see... "The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki." Yeah... That has a nice ring to it...' he mentally finished as he closed his eyes for the last time, a small smile on his face.

Tsunade, Naruto, Gamakichi, Ma, Pa, and all the other toads present could only cry at the death of the toad sage.

Chapter End

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**Post Notes**

**And Done! Sorry it took a bit to upload this chapter, but I've been pretty busy as of lately. What not with work and also writing the first chapter of my next story. Hopefully I'll have my next story up in a couple of days. But until then, you'll just have to enjoy the little preview I have right here:**

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Preview Start

"... Where am I...?" Naruto asked out loud, "Did I... Die...?"

"By what means did you die? Your personal ethical point of veiw towards death differs greatly from someone as from my own era." A mysterious voice boomed, "For one to so easily comprehend and adjust to the worth "Death" your mettle is quite impressive, newbie."

"... Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"My name is Hagoromo. And as he who founded Ninshuu, I am also known as the Rikudou Sennin (Sage of Six Paths)." he finished.

"You are my son "Ashura's"..."

"There was only one Netherworld... That is, until two people came along."

"You were very much the same, weren't you, Naruto?"

"... I figured this was what you meant..." Naruto said, causing a small smirk to appear on the old sage's face.

"And you really do resemble Ashura, with what you've done, too..." Hagoromo commented.

"Hmm? With what I've done?" Naruto questioned.

"Indra and Ashura walked very different paths." Hagoromo explained, "Since birth, the older brother Indra had powerful eyes and a strong sense for battle, he was touted as a genius. He did everything with his own power and understood that his power was special and different from those around him, he also came to believe that with power, anything was possible." he stated, "On the opposite side, you had the younger Ashura, who since childhood, was bad at everything he did, he couldn't do anything by himself. To achieve the same strength as his brother he needed huge amounts of his own effort, along with the cooperation of those around him. And soon, through harsh training, the Overlord blood that flowed through his veins awakened..."

"I thought that his brother Indra would join in and cooperate, but... Indra would not accept that. And that was the very moment this long war began." he finished, "When their bodies were destroyed, the chakra that they had built up didn't disappear, but was reborn through the ages, time and time again."

"Yuck, that is like being possessed by a ghost or something." Naruto said, "So... who's the unlucky guy being possessed by them now?"

"You, Naruto." Hagoromo replied, "Ashura was reborn into you."

"... Well shit." Naruto said after a minute of silence, taking in the new information.

Seconds later, a mass of golden flames exploded next to him, though the old sage didn't flinch. When the flames died down a bit, they took the form of a man as tall as Hagoromo, the figure had short spiky hair, two locks of which were wrapped in bandages framing either side of his face, and was wearing a blank forehead protector and kimono with magatama around the collar held closed by a sash.

"It's been a while, tou-san..." the figure said, small golden flames flickering off his form every couple of seconds.

"Indeed it has, Ashura." Hagoromo said. The now identified Ashura looked around a bit before staring at Naruto, who in turn stared back.

"And who is this?" Ashura asked.

"I guess this is goodbye then, tou-san..."

"I'm pretty sure, although, we should check just in case..." Kuruma said before turning to what was hopefully Naruto, "Oi, gaki! Ramen is the worst food out there-!" he exclaimed, but was cut off before he could finish his exclamation.

"You dare to commit blasphemy against the holiest food there is?! I shall smite thee in the name of ramen! Dattebayo!" the man yelled with a comical expression of anger.

"... Yep... That's definitely Naruto..." Kuruma deadpanned, everyone excluding Naruto sweatdropped at the blond's antics.

"Well, then..." Madara said as he and Obito stepped out of the portal, "I suppose if you all died together, that would also be called teamwork, wouldn't it?"

Preview End

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**Well, that's all you get for now, I still need to work on the first chapter of that story. If you didn't find or get the hints in the preview as to what kind of crossover story this will be, then too bad, you'll just have to wait until I publish the first chapter! Not going to give away the title of the story, but let's just say, this is going to be one hell of a story to write!**

**I hope you guys like the lengthy chapter, I didn't exactly plan it to be this long.**

**Jiraiya is dead! A coded message was left as his last action! The Vytal Festival is coming up in Remnant! How will our hero react to his mentor's death?! What's become of the rest of Team RHFN (Archfiend) and the Naruto Retrieval Team?! What is the Akatsuki's next move?! Why am I asking you so many questions?! What will happen next?!**

**Find out in the next chapter of The Maelstrom Hunter!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	13. Chapter 13- The Stray

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeellllllllooooooo People! CKS here! The first chapter of my new story, Disgaea: Samsara's Memories, is up! I'm hoping the story will turn out good, as I like the story idea itself. I've read some of the other Naruto-Disgaea crossover stories so I'm 95% certain that no one has done my idea yet. The next chapter will hopefully be posted a few days after I post this chapter.**

**This weekend I went upstate to visit my relatives. And along the way back, whilst staring out the window of the car I was in at the night sky, listening to the music on the Pandora app on my iPhone. I had a brilliant idea. I came up with another story idea! Another Naruto/RWBY crossover! I'm contemplating the idea of writing this new story, and I'll probably flip a coin in the end to decide what to do with it.**

* * *

**And now on to reviews of your reviews:**

**OBSERVER01- I always felt that Jiraiya's death in the Naruto storyline was less mournful than I predicted, so I decided to change it a bit, give more of a death where they actually had a body to bury.**

**Karlos1234ify- Let it be known that Yang teasing Ruby on the topic of Naruto will be a thing in this story. The Akatsuki will become a major threat in the next few arcs after The Vytal Festival Arc. Team RHFN (Archfiend) will be coming together once again soon. And as for the Naruto Retrieval Team, well... they're still trying to survive Tenten's weapon-crazy hype.**

**Kurama- Thanks for the heads up, otherwise I might've kept misspelling his name.**

**Guest- I know, but it's become sort of a reflex as of now to auto translate each and every time I use a Japanese word.**

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**And now, I present you chapter 13 of TMH! Read and Review! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-Beacon Academy-

Rain poured against the glass window as Professor Ozpin stared out at the night sky. Thunder and lightning cackled as the storm raged on. Despite being late at night, Ozpin had a cup of steaming coffee in his hand. He stared at his reflection in the window, looking back on the memories of his past mistakes. Lightning struck once again as the reflection against the glass revealed Glynda Goodwitch behind Ozpin, the woman having just entered the room. A tired sigh escaped Ozpin's lips as he saw his former teammate.

"Still thinking about _that_ day?" Glynda asked, putting her hand on Ozpin's.

"If I had been a little stronger that day, then maybe-" Ozpin said.

"John..." Glynda said, using Ozpin's first name, "It wasn't your fault, _none_ of us knew what would happen that day." Another tired sigh escaped Ozpin's lips as he turned back to stare at the window intently.

"Retrieve them." Ozpin said, "It's time for Team RHFN (Archfiend) to come out of hiding."

-Mount Myōboku, Three Days Later-

The sun had just begun to set as Naruto stood before Jiraiya's grave, the deceased toad sage having died a week ago at the hands of Pein, leaving a mourning student and teammate, the latter giving Naruto time to mourn while she herself was sent back to Konoha so as to not raise suspicion. The grave was a simple one, made up of a small stone monument surrounded by three kunai connected by ninja wire imbedded in the soil around it, making a triangular pattern. Naruto just stood there for days, only momentarily leaving to eat or go to the bathroom. Bags were under his eyes, indicating he hadn't slept much. The sound of footsteps broke Naruto out of his trance as his eyes left the gravestone.

"Naruto..." Tsunade said, "It's time for you to come back home, back to Konoha."

"No." Naruto said, turning to Tsunade, "You and I both know that Konoha would never accept me, especially after all the changes I undertook." he said, motioning to his fox ears and tail.

"I could make laws, I could-" Tsunade started, but was cut off by Naruto.

"No matter how many laws you pass, that won't change their hatred of me." Naruto stated.

"I... I just want you back home, I don't want to lose you too..." Tsunade said, a tired sigh escaping Naruto's lips.

"Konoha isn't my home anymore, I was exiled from that place. My home, my true home, is Remnant..." Naruto said.

"Remnant? So that's what those lands are called..." Tsunade mumbled.

"'Lands?' You mean you found out where I was?" Naruto asked, Tsunade nodded her head, "How? How did you find out?"

"The weasel is awake to see the red dawn..." Tsunade said vaguely, Naruto tilted his head in confusion before it hit him, causing the blond fox's eyes to widen in shock and surprise.

"Itachi..." Naruto said quietly.

"Naruto, as a shinobi of Konohagakure, I'm going to give you one final mission." Tsunade said in an authoritative tone, "The details of the mission will be given to you, should you choose to accept."

"I accept." Naruto said in a serious tone, Tsunade nodding her head.

"Your final mission is... to live a happy life." Tsunade said, her voice softening, "You will go and find your own happiness... Get a girl, fall in love, have a family... Just live the life you deserve." she spoke.

"Yes... Baa-chan..." Naruto replied, "What are you going to tell the council?"

"A little white lie about how you died out beyond the Oki no Okunote (Ocean of Mystery)." Tsunade said with a grin before handing Naruto a scroll.

"What's in the scroll?" Naruto asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Five years worth of kunai and shuriken, an unused ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokubushu Butai) (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), some chakra metal..." Tsunade stated, "And... a year's supply of Ichiraku's Rame-" Before she could even finish the word "ramen" Naruto interrupted her.

"Yes! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou (Translation: Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You Thank You)!" Naruto exclaimed, before being clobbered over the head by one of Tsunade's fists.

"Shut up gaki!" Tsunade comically yelled, a tick mark appearing on her forehead, "As I was saying, a year's supply of Ichiraku's Ramen, and a little surprise as well."

"Thanks again, Baa-chan!" Naruto said before enveloping Tsunade in a hug.

"Good luck, gaki..." Tsunade said, tears falling down her face, "I'm going to miss you..."

After a minute, Tsunade left back to Konoha, leaving Naruto to stand at Jiraiya's grave. An hour passed before Naruto left the grave. When Naruto left, the blond fox faunus walked to the spot he trained with senjutsu.

Deciding to clear his mind, Naruto began to meditate, not to train in sejutsu, but just to meditate. Hours passed as the setting sun had become night and the night had become dawn.

The sun was just peaking above the horizon as the sound of silence permeated the area as the natives to the area begun to wake. Naruto, having cleared his mind, began to feel a strange but familiar energy. Orange pigments appeared around his eyes as he let the energy around him flow into his body as a medium. He had unlocked the ability to use senjutsu.

-Vale, Vytal, Eleven Days Later-

Team RWBY (Ruby) strolled through the streets of Vale, an awed Weiss at the front of the group. The city itself was decorated with red, yellow, and green streamers, balloons proudly displayed as the elderly shopkeeper of the _From Dust Till Dawn_ store put up a large sign that read "Welcome to Vale!" in bright red letters. It had been two weeks since Naruto and the rest of Team RHFN disappeared, and today was the start of the Vytal Festival.

"The Vytal Festival! Oh, this is absolutely _wonderful_!" Weiss exclaimed, raising her arms in amazement.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss." Ruby stated as she frowned a little, "It's kinda weirding me out..."

"How could you _not _smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances! Parades! A tournament! Oh, the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is simply **breathtaking**!" Weiss said.

"Lay off of Ruby a bit, will ya? She still misses her _blond fox boyfriend_." Yang teased, Ruby gaining a large blush on her face, "And besides, you really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring."

"Quiet, you." Weiss retorted. The group continued walking until they ended up near the docks, the sound of foghorns heard every now and then.

"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asked.

"Ugh, they smell like fish!" Ruby complained, having gotten her large blush back down to a small nearly unnoticeable blush.

"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a _representative_ of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this _fine_ kingdom!" Weiss exclaimed.

"_She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament_." Blake stated.

"You cant prove that." Weiss scoffed.

"Whoa." Ruby said as she turned her head to the right. Down the street was a random Dust shop with a shattered window, scorch marks were present at random areas of the shop, along with the outline of a body in white chalk on the ground, the door full of yellow caution tape of the Vale Police Force. "What happened here?" she asked, walking over to the detective in front of the shop that was writing on his pad.

"Robbery. Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle." the detective said, turning over to his partner.

"That's terrible." Yang sighed.

"They left all the money again." the second detective said quietly.

"Huh?" Ruby asked, hearing what the detective said.

"Yeah, just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?" the first detective questioned.

"I don't know, an army?" the second detective said.

"You think the White Fang?" the first detective asked.

"No, this is something else. The White Fang isn't known for killing the shopkeepers of the Dust shops they raid." the second detective stated.

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough for this." the first detective said.

"Hmm! The White Fang." Weiss said in disgust, crossing her arms and pointing her nose in the air with her eyes closed, "What an awful bunch of degenerates!"

"What's _your_ problem?" Blake asked.

"_My_ problem? I simply don't care for the criminally insane." Weiss said.

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths." Blake said, crossing her arms and turning serious, "They're a collection of misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe Humanity off the face of the planet!" Weiss exclaimed.

"So then they're _**very**_ misguided. Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale." Blake countered.

"Hmm... Blake's got a point. Besides, the police said something about the shopkeeper being killed and unlike the White Fang to kill the shopkeepers of the Dust shops. Plus the police never caught that Torchwick guy Naruto and I ran into a few months ago, maybe it was him." Ruby added.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss retorted, "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal."

"That's not necessarily true-" Yang said.

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" a random sailor yelled as a tan-skinned boy with short spiky light-blond hair, dark grey eyes, and a monkey tail the same color as his hair wearing two red wrist bracers, an open loose-collared white jacket with no shirt underneath, blue cargo pants tied up with a white belt with white bandages on his legs underneath, black and yellow sneakers, and a twisted golden necklace with a round pendant hanging from his neck running away from sailors.

"Thanks for the ride, guys! Haha!" the monkey Faunus exclaimed as he ran from the angry sailors.

"You no-good stowaway!" another sailor exclaimed.

"Hey! A _no-good_ stowaway would've been caught! I'm a _great_ stowaway!" the monkey Faunus retorted, hanging on a lamppost by his tail while peeling a banana and throwing a stone at one of the detectives below to get his attention.

"Hey! Get down from there this instant!" the first detective yelled, the monkey Faunus dropping the banana peel in his hand on the detective's face, said detective growled in response. The monkey Faunus twirled up to crouch on the lamppost, laughing in amusement, and proceeded to leap off and run away from the detectives. Winking at an astonished Blake as he passed Team RWBY (Ruby).

"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..." Yang said, watching the Faunus getting farther and farther away.

"Quick! We have to observe him!" Weiss exclaimed, pointing her finger at the direction the monkey Faunus went off to.

-Unknown Location, Land of Water-

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. The two members of Team 7 having snuck away from Konoha with the help of Kakashi to find their third teammate.

"He saved me from a life as one of Orochimaru's guinea pigs, Sakura. Kami knows what I'd be like if he hadn't." Sasuke said.

"I know, but what'll happen when we finally see him after all this time? I don't even think he'll want to see us after what happened between the three of us before he left." Sakura stated, causing Sasuke to sigh.

"We can only try, Sakura. And if we're unforgiven, then we deserved it." Sasuke said as the duo walked down to the nearby docks.

"Can I help ye lads?" one of the sailors asked, seeing the two shinobi approaching him.

"We need a fast ship for long-term travels." Sasuke replied.

"The fastest ship we have is the _SS Great Western_. She's got a speed of eight and a half knots." the sailor stated, motioning to the large oak-hulled paddle-wheel steamship behind him.

"Is she fit for long-distance travels?" Sasuke asked.

"That depends on where ye be going." the sailor said, "And how much Yen you're paying."

"We intend to sail beyond the Oki no Okunote (Ocean of Mystery)." Sasuke said, "And money is of no concern. Name your price, and I'll get you your money when we get back from the trip."

"The Oki no Okunote, eh? Aye, we can sail out there, you won't find anything though." the sailor said.

"We have a deal, then." Sasuke said, extending his hand to the sailor, who in turn shook his hand, sealing the deal.

"We set sail in two hours." the sailor said before turning to one of the other sailors, the latter laying on his back as a loud snoring sound escaped his lips, "Jacob! Wake up!" the first sailor yelled, the person named Jacob stumbling awake.

"What is it Roy?!" Jacob asked, "Can't ya see I was sleeping!"

"We've got a job to do!" Roy yelled.

"What kind of job?!" Jacob yelled back.

"Escorting these two beyond the Oki no Okunote!" Roy exclaimed.

"Are ya crazy?! There's nothing out there!" Jacob said.

"Yeah, but there paying us well to send them out there!" Roy countered, "We leave in two hours, let the rest of the crew know!"

"Aye, captain!" Jacob yelled.

-Vale, Vytal-

"No, he got away!" Weiss exclaimed in defeat. The four huntresses-in-training gave chase to the monkey Faunus, only to lose their chase after Weiss crashed into someone when rounding a corner.

"Uhh... Weiss?" Yang asked, pointing strangely at the girl underneath her teammate. Following the direction of Yang's pointing, Weiss saw that she fell on a smiling girl, which startled the heiress and made her get up quickly.

"Sal-u-ta-tions!" the girl said, smiling widely whilst still on the ground.

"Um... hello." Ruby hesitantly said.

"Are you... okay?" Yang asked.

"I'm **wonderful**! Thank you for asking." the strange girl replied.

"Do you... wanna get up?" Yang questioned, the team looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Yes!" the strange girl said after thinking about it for a moment before leaping back on her feet, causing Team RWBY (Ruby) to step back a little, "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi Penny, I'm Ruby." Ruby said.

"I'm Weiss." Weiss said.

"Blake." Blake shortly replied.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" Yang asked, causing Blake to hit her side, "Oh, I'm Yang."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny cheerfully exclaimed.

"You already said that." Weiss pointed out, causing Penny to pause again.

"So I did!" Penny replied, using the same overly cheerful tone as before.

"Well, sorry for running into you!" Weiss apologized before the team began walking away.

"Take care, friend!" Ruby said, waving her arm.

"She was... _weird_..." Yang said after the group got far enough away from a startled Penny.

"Now, where did that Faunus riff-raff run off to?" Weiss asked. Suddenly, Penny appeared in front of Weiss, effectively surprising the girl.

"What did you call me?" Penny asked.

"Oh, I'm really sorry, I definite didn't think you heard me!" Yang exclaimed apologetically.

"No, not you." Penny said, walking through the group and leaning her head down to Ruby, "You!"

"_Me_? I-I don't know. I, what I, um, uh..." Ruby said, startled by Penny.

"You called me 'friend'! Am I _really_ your **friend**?" Penny asked.

"Uuuum..." Ruby stated, looking over Penny's shoulder while her teammates motioned to deny her, "Y-Yeah, sure! Why not?" she said, causing Ruby's teammates to facefault and Penny to be overjoyed and laugh.

"Sen-sational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" Penny exclaimed.

"Oh, is this what it was like when you met me?" Ruby asked Weiss as she brushed herself off.

"No - she seems _far_ more coordinated." Weiss said.

"So, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament." Penny replied.

"Wait, _you're_ fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked.

"I'm combat ready!" Penny said, giving a salute.

"Forgive me, but you hardly look the part." Weiss stated.

"Says the girl wearing a dress?" Blake commented.

"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss countered, Ruby speeding over to her side.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed, Weiss holding out her hand and Ruby low-fives it.

"Wait a minute." Weiss said in realization, "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed rapscallion?"

"The who...?" Penny asked.

"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" Weiss said, holding up a poorly drawn picture of the monkey Faunus.

"Why do you keep saying that?!" Blake questioned.

"Huh?" Weiss asked, turning her attention from Penny to Blake.

"Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!" Blake angrily said, walking over to Weiss.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Weiss mock apologized, "Would you like me to stop referring to the trash can as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?"

"Stop it!" Blake exclaimed.

"Stop _what_? He clearly broke the law. Give him time; he'll probably join up with those other Faunus in the White Fang!" Weiss said.

"You ignorant little _brat_!" Blake growled before walking away.

"How dare you talk to me like that! _I_ am your teammate!" Weiss yelled, having been offended by Blake's comment.

"_You_ are a judgmental little girl." Blake said.

"What in the world makes you say that?" Weiss asked.

"The mere fact that you would sort that Faunus boy with a terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be!" Blake stated.

"Um, I think we should probably go..." Yang said, sliding up to Ruby looking uncomfortable.

"Where are we going?" Penny cheerfully asked, popping up behind Ruby with the same smile on her face.

"So you admit it! The White Fang _is_ just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss countered.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" Blake retorted.

-Safehouse Foxtrot-

Roshi, Han, and Fu all stared down at their PDAs. Each member of Team RHFN (Archfiend) received one just like every other student after passing initiation. The messages they received had been kept to a minimum for tracking reasons, but the latest message was one they couldn't ignore.

_It's time for Team RHFN to come out of hiding._

_I expect your team to be present at the Vytal Festival._

_-Professor Ozpin_

"What should we do?" Fu asked.

"We have to take precautions to ensure anyone from the Elemental Nations doesn't find us." Han said.

"But at the same time, we can't ignore Professor Ozpin's request." Roshi countered.

"The decision isn't up to us, guys." Fu stated, "Naruto is still team leader, so it's his decision on the matter."

"Fine then, we'll just have to get in contact with him." Han said. Fu nodded her head in agreement and started typing on her PDA.

-Mount Myōboku-

Naruto struck another boulder, causing the large rock to break into small pieces. Pa, having found out about Naruto unlocking the secret to senjutsu, began to train the young blond fox Faunus in the fighting style of the toad sage, Frog Kata. He was nowhere near perfecting the fighting style, but had progressed very far considering the young sage had started training in the Frog Kata since the dawn. He wasn't in his current clothing, opting to train in some sweatpants instead due to the extreme heat of the area around him.

Deciding to take a break from his training, Naruto took refuge under one of the shady areas of the training ground. His resting was broken by the sound of beeping. Looking to his right, Naruto saw a light blue glow being emitted from his bag. He opened his bag and saw that his PDA was going off, which surprised him a bit. Who knew that you could get full 3G service in the middle of a summoning dimension. Unlocking his PDA he saw that someone had sent him a message.

_Prof. Oz sent us a message telling us to come back for the Vytal Festival._

_You're team leader, so it's your decision on what we do._

_-Fu_

[You Have 1 Unread Message]

Clicking on the little icon on the bottom of the screen, Naruto read the message Professor Ozpin sent to the rest of Team RHFN (Archfiend).

'Hey Kyuubi, what should I do?' Naruto mentally asked.

"**Why are you asking me, gaki? It's your decision to make**." Kurama said.

'...' Naruto contemplated. On one hand, the Akatsuki might find them again. On the other hand, this was a request coming from Professor Ozpin. Centering his PDA into his vision, Naruto began typing a reply to Fu's message.

_We're going back to Vale. If we encounter any Akatsuki or any other shinobi we'll just deal with them._

_Let's meet up at the shop From Dust Till Dawn in Vale._

_-Naruto_

"Hey Pa, how soon can I head back to Vale?" Naruto asked after sending his message.

"Ya can't be serious Naruto-boy! You still haven't perfected the Frog Kata." Pa exclaimed.

"I can just use Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones). But I just got a message to head back to Vale from Professor Ozpin." Naruto said.

"Alright fine, but Vale is a long way away, so I'd say an hour or so before we can use the Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Reverse Summoning Technique). Unless you have any specific location in that city you want to be at." Pa conceded.

"As long as I'm in the city I'll be fine." Naruto said.

"Gamakichi!" Pa yelled, said toad appearing in front of Pa, "You've been to Vale right?"

"Actually-" Gamakichi started.

"Good! Go into the city and reverse summon Naruto-boy when you get there." Pa ordered.

"But-" Gamakichi said.

"Now go Kichi-boy!" Pa exclaimed. Gamakichi hesitantly nodded his head and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Well then, now that that's out of the way, what'll ya do now Naruto-boy?" Pa asked.

"I might as well continue reading this." Naruto said, pulling out a light-brown colored book with faded lettering.

"How did ya get a copy of that one, Naruto-boy?" Pa questioned.

"I found it back in one of the bookstores in the Elemental Nations. The store owner gave it to me for free." Naruto said as he sat down and began to read the book from where he last left off.

-Team RWBY (Ruby) Dormitory-

"I don't understand _why_ this is causing such a problem!" Weiss angrily said, her argument with Blake having last this long and still going strong.

"That _is_ the problem!" Blake stated, Weiss getting up from her bed.

"You realize you are defending an organization that hates Humanity, don't you? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!" Weiss yelled, Blake getting on her feet as well.

"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate Humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like _**you**_, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!" Blake countered.

"People like _me_?" Weiss exclaimed in outrage.

"You're discriminatory!" Blake stated.

"I'm a victim!" Weiss said, the two staring each other down in silence. Weiss leaned in close, "You want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang? Why I don't particularly trust the Faunus?" Weiss rhetorically asked quietly, leering as she spoke. She leaned against the window.

_Flashback Start_

_Images began to appear, starting with the Schnee Dust Company logo. The logo was lit from the right corner as the image was changed by flames consuming the logo to reveal a dark red sky with black silhouettes of various Faunus warriors, each having the symbol of the White Fang on their bodies._

"It's because they've been in war with my family for years. War, as in _actual_ bloodshed." Weiss stated, "My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember."

_The image changed once more to show the silhouetted of multiple Schnee Dust Company members and in the center was a younger Weiss. Shoulder-length white hair wearing a white dress with straps, standing at 3'2". Suddenly a majority of the taller silhouetted members began to disappear._

"And ever since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear; board members executed. An entire train car full of Dust, stolen." Weiss continued.

_A small, younger Weiss stood behind the shadow of a taller man with white hair much like her own. The man was sitting down in a chair with his head looking down, casting a shadow over his eyes as his hands gripped the desk in front of him, his facial expression comparable to that of frustration and anger._

"And every day, my father would come home, furious. And that made for a very difficult childhood." Weiss finished.

_Flashback End_

"Weiss, I-" Ruby said, moving over to comfort her teammate.

"No!" Weiss yelled, turning away and walking back over to Blake, "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well maybe **we** were just tired of being pushed around!" Blake yelled, silence dropping down on the room again. Weiss backed away slowly in surprise as Blake realized her mistake. "I... I..." she said before dashing out the door.

"Blake, wait! Come back!" Ruby exclaimed, rushing over to the door and calling to her down the hallway as Yang sat herself down and Weiss looked down.

-Beacon Academy Courtyard-

Blake ran outside, arriving at a statue of an armored man with a sword and a hooded woman wielding an axe on an outcropping, staring at the Beowolf under the stone heroes in particular. Blake closed her eyes as she slowly lifted her arms up to her bow and pulled the string to release the bow from her hair. Wiping her tears away as the bow was pulled off her head, revealing her Faunus ears.

"I _knew_ you would look better without the bow." a familiar voice stated, startling Blake, who was on the verge of crying.

-From Dust Till Dawn,Vale, Vytal-

Gamakichi arrived outside of the Vale city limit after his long arduous journey. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was for a giant toad to get to Vale.

"Finally." Gamakichi said before forming handsigns, "Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" he exclaimed, summoning the blond toad sage in a puff of smoke. Blinking, Naruto took in his new surroundings before turning to Gamakichi.

"Thank's Gamakichi!" Naruto said.

"No problem, see ya next time." Gamakichi said before returning to Mount Myōboku in a poof of smoke.

"Now to wait." Naruto said to himself.

-Team RWBY (Ruby) Dormitory-

Morning came around as Ruby woke up from her beauty sleep, yawning in the process. She looked over at Blake's empty bunk and groaned sadly.

-From Dust Till Dawn, Vale, Vytal-

Naruto waited around _From Dust Till Dawn_ for hours after Gamakichi brought him there, eventually entering and browsing the shop once the elderly shopkeeper arrived and opened up the store. After that little incident with Torchwick a few months back, the Dust shop had been doing quite well for itself. Because of Naruto and Ruby defending the shop from Torchwick's lackeys, the criminals were only able to steal 43% of the Dust in stock, along with one of the latest editions of "Truth" magazine at the time. The elderly shopkeeper, whose name Naruto found out to be Edward Elric, had been able to continue selling Dust and restock his lost inventory.

Naruto was reading the book he pulled out earlier on Mount Myōboku when his musings were broken by the sound of the door opening. Looking up from his book, Naruto saw three familiar faces entering the store.

"Naruto!" Roshi exclaimed after seeing their blond fox team leader.

"Yo." Naruto said, his eyes returning to his book as he waved at the three lazily.

"What took you so long? We've been waiting outside the shop for an hour." Roshi asked. Naruto was about to reply, but paused when an evil idea was concieved in his head. Quickly supressing his growing grin, Naruto spoke with the most nonchalant face he could.

"Well you see, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long route." Naruto said, not looking up from his book when he spoke, causing his three teammates to facefault.

Elsewhere, a certain black-haired cat Faunus girl and a lazy one-eyed cyclops of an ex-ANBU sneezed simultaneously, the latter swelling up in pride seconds after.

-Two Days Later-

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang walked through the near empty streets of Vale searching for their fourth teammate. Ever since Weiss and Blake's argument, their Faunus teammate had disappeared, Yang and Ruby searching everywhere for Blake with Weiss tagging along.

"She's been gone all weekend..." Ruby stated.

"Blake's a big girl, I'm sure she can handle herself!" Weiss said, still angry at Blake.

"Weiss, come on, she's one of our teammates." Yang stated.

"Is she? We all heard what she said!" Weiss retorted.

"Weiss..." Ruby said.

"Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. Either way, she's missing, and we need to find her!" Yang said.

"A member of the White Fang! Right underneath our noses!" Weiss exclaimed.

"I just hope she's okay..." Ruby said.

-Downtown Vale-

Blake took a sip of her tea and sighed, the latest events between her teammates fresh on her mind. Sitting across from her was the monkey Faunus she had encounter before, whose name she found out to be Sun Wukong. Sun was currently holding his drink with his tail as his hand popped his head up. He took a sip of his drink when Blake placed her cup down.

"So you want to know more about me..." Blake started.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Gamakichi's Journey-

Gamakichi appeared in the Beacon Academy courtyard. He tried telling Pa that he has only been to Beacon Academy, not to Vale itself, making him unable to be summoned there without having been there beforehand. A sigh escaped the giant toad's lips as he began to hop towards the nearest directory, which happened to be four of the students attending Beacon Academy.

In front of him was a teenage girl with fair skin and short dark brown hair with wavy locks on one side of her face, colored from dark brown to red. Her clothes consisted of mocha-colored long shirt with a gray corset, long dark trousers with ribbons on the left side and a black belt with a golden spike. Above it, she wore another cream colored belt of bullets with a gold cross-hairs buckle and what appeared to be a drape of black skirt on her right side. She wore a pair of dark brown high-heeled leather boots with buckles. The girl also donned a number of accessories, such as a gray shawl and bracelet with black roses as decoration, black gloves, and necklaces. She also wore a beret of a darker brown and a pair on sunglasses. She was also holding a black shoulder bag with golden studs as decorations and bullets as its strap.

Next to her was a teenage boy with dark tan skin and messy orange hair that had a long fringe. He wore a brown sleeveless shirt with a high collar, a pair of black jeans and a pair of brown laced shoes. He also wore a pair of long black gloves and had several pouches attached to his belt.

To his left was a small girl with long, brown hair and brown eyes. She also had a pair of long, brown rabbit ears and wore a black form-fitting top and a dark-brown, long-sleeved jacket that comes down to her chest. Her leggings consisted of two parts: a pair of dark-brown shorts and a pair of black form-fitting leggings that came to just below her hips. Her jacket and leggings had small amounts of embellished metal armor attached to them, she wore a large armored belt, and her shoes had embellished metal on the heel and toe.

And lastly, to her left was a tall athletic-looking young man with shaved-short black hair and slightly tanned skin. He wore a long pale-green short-sleeved coat fastened by a brown cummerbund, he had brown pants, black and green boots and his left donned a sode which extended up past his shoulder.

"Excuse me." Gamakichi said, hopping over to the four individuals, said individuals were currently struck speechless at the sight of a giant orange toad talking to them, "Can one of you point me in the direction of Vale?" he asked, the girl with rabbit ears pointing him in an eastward direction hesitantly, "Thanks! See ya!" Gamakichi said before taking off in the direction he was pointed to.

Twenty minutes later, Gamakichi was hopping down the road leading to Vale, if the sign that said "Twenty-five Miles To Vale" was anything to go by. Somewhere on the side of the road, Gamakichi stumbled upon a small portable device with strange headphone-like objects attached to a wire connecting to the device. Curiosity got the best of him as he tried on the headphones and pressed the play button.

_**(Play Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees)**_

The sudden jolt of music coming from the device surprised Gamakichi. For about five seconds. Before long, the giant toad continued his journey to Vale whilst listening to the disco song. Somehow pulling off disco moves every now and then along the way.

Ten minutes later, if one were to observe the downtown streets of Vale, they would find a giant orange toad walking down the street. A little kid suddenly walked up to Gamakichi and tugged on the toad's clothes to get his attention.

"Mister Frog? Why are you orange?" the little kid asked.

"First of all, I'm a toad." Gamakichi said, "And second, it's because I am. It's not easy being orange."

And that is how Gamakichi's day mostly went. After summoning Naruto in front of a shop called _From Dust Till Dawn_, Gamakichi went back to Mount Myōboku, bringing a new genre of music to the Elemental Nations with him.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDDDD DONE! I hope you like the Omake, I just thought about Gamakichi, Stayin' Alive, and Disco for some reason today, so I made the Omake last minute at the end. That little tidbit in the beginning is a little side secret I came up with, much like the Remnants of the Past idea. Glynda and Ozpin used to be on the same team together, Ozpin having survivor's guilt.**

**I won't reveal much about the team they were on, except the name.**

**Team JGER (Jäger) is what I'm calling it.**

**Jäger, as translated by Google Translate, means "Hunter" in German. The rest is up to you guys to guess and make conspiracies.**

**Something's amidst in Remnant, and an even bigger picture than the White Fang is being painted.**

**What's haunting Ozpin's past? What will become of the Naruto Retrieval Team? If not the White Fang, then WHO attacked the Dust shop? Will Team RWBY fall apart? What will happen now that Gamakichi has discovered Disco music? Should I write the new story idea I came up with? Who won? Who's next? You don't know who decides!**

**I'll see you guys later, peace out.**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out.**


	14. Chapter 14- Black and White

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Bringing you the next installment of TMH! Sorry if this chapter is a bit late, I've been a bit busy with work and life, mainly playing some Pixelmon on my favorite server.**

**Now I have an important announcement: After I publish chapter 15 of this fanfic, I'm going to revise my earlier chapters. A few of the reviewers recently have been complaining about my constant line skips in chapter 1, so I'm going to go through every single one of my previous chapters and revise them. The first few chapters that are not in Third POV I'm going to edit so that they're like my more recent chapters that are in Third POV. Plus I'm going to go through and check for grammatical and sentence structure errors.**

* * *

**Now onto reviews of your reviews:**

**OBSERVER01- Because of the omake where Gamakichi discovers disco music, disco toads will become a minor running joke in this fanfic, possibly any other fanfic I write with Naruto having the toad contract. So expect some **_**funky**_** toads.**

**Aisk- You fool! You've seen a connection that should have NEVER been made! I honestly didn't think that any connection between Team JGER (Jäger) and my disco toad omake could be made.**

**Karlos1234ify- It's kind of good that Tsunade gave Naruto the okay to live a happy life away from Konoha, but that does not mean that this will be the last time we ever see the Retrieval team. As for your omake idea, I can confirm that it will happen during the Tournament Arc. As for your theory on the unknown Dust thief being Kakuzu, I will not say anything. It could be him, but at the same time, it may not be him.**

**Guest (Jul 22)- Yeah, looking back at my first chapter of this story, I can honestly say that I've improved my writing skills. As I said above, after I write chapter 15 I'm planning on going back and revising my earlier chapters.**

**Mercenry4life- When I came up with the omake idea, I got Stayin' Alive stuck in my head and couldn't help but laugh at the notion of a giant orange toad with an afro. When coming up with the idea of Naruto using a Kakashi-like excuse, I first thought that considering Naruto was reading a small book made by Jiraiya, and that he was reading it like Kakashi would with his Icha Icha, he'd make his sensei proud by using a lame excuse like he does.**

**WordSmyth- A bit late for that, but I will say again: the team made up of Naruto, Fu, Han, and Roshi would make sense to be called Team RHFN (Archfiend) because one: a team made up of Jinch****ūrik****is can be considered demonic, two: the bijuu can and have been called chief demons before, three: the name sounds badass, and four: because I can, end of story.**

**Drakolf- I just said above that I'm going to revise my earlier chapters after I publish chapter 15 of this story. Which means I'll be revising my stories in about a month or so.**

**Guest (Aug 3)- It's not going to be a double pairing. I'm confident in my ability to do a single pairing type of story, but not yet with two or more. My other story, Disgaea: Samsara's Memories is just a test run for me with doing a pairing that has more than one partner. And yeah, I know that they haven't done the tournament in RWBY canon yet. Keyword **_**yet**_**. If the Volume 2 opening is anything to go by, added with what is known from the latest episodes, I think it's safe to say that there will be a tournament soon. It goes all according to my plan: Chapter 14 will be, in RWBY canon terms, episode 16 (Black and White), I then go through my cycle and publish the next chapters of my other stories, Chapter 15 will be a filler chapter with a few giggles here and there, and after that I'm going to revise the earlier chapters of this story. If all goes right, then the tournament arc in RWBY will have already been released to the public, or at least enough having the transcripts become available for me to write an accurate story in accordance to canon.**

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**And now, without further delay, I give you chapter 14 of TMH!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-Unknown Location-

Itachi and Kisame walked into the abandoned warehouse, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the building. The duo was oddly quiet as the continued their trek through the abandoned structure, finally stopping in the center, a small flickering light hung overhead. Looking in front of them, a pair of purple-grey eyes with four concentric rings was seen visible through the shroud of darkness.

"Leader-sama..." Itachi spoke no louder than a whisper. His face kept its stoic expression but internally he was surprised. "What brings you here?"

"Once information that the Yonbi, Gobi, and Nanabi containers were here alongside the Kyuubi container became known, I felt the need to complete this task myself." Pein stated. While his statement was partially true, that was not his true motive for being in Remnant.

"And what of us, Leader-sama?" Kisame asked.

"You two are being tasked with hunting the Hachibi container for the time being." Pein commanded, Itachi and Kisame nodded their heads.

"Hai, Leader-sama." the duo replied.

"Dismissed." Pein said. Itachi and Kisame began walking away after they were given the consent to. "Itachi, a word with you." Pein stated. Said stoic Uchiha stopped in his tracks as Kisame continued walking away. As soon as Kisame was out of listening distance, Pein spoke again. "What's the Kyuubi Jinchūriki like?" Itachi stood silent for a moment, formulating the words in his head that would best describe the blond fox.

"He'll be the first one to yell and scream at you." Itachi vaguely stated.

"Also, about your condition." Pein said, "Zetsu was able to find out that your brother and his teammate were last seen boarding a boat to Remnant."

"..." Itachi said nothing as he began walking away.

-Downtown Vale-

"So you want to know more about me..." Blake stated.

"Finally, she speaks! Nearly two days and you gave me nothing but small talk and weird looks!" Sun exclaimed, Blake giving the monkey Faunus a firm look, "Yeah, like _that_." he said, Blake rolled her eyes before closing them and looking at him sadly.

"Sun... Are you familiar with the White Fang?" Blake asked.

"Of course! I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet who hasn't heard of them. Stupid, holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want. Bunch of freaks, if you ask me!" Sun said, Blake took a sip of her drink.

"I was once a member of the White Fang." Blake stated, causing Sun to go cross-eyed and choke on his drink. The monkey Faunus placed his drink down and wiped his mouth as he held up his hand to process this information.

"Wait a minute, **you** were a member of the White Fang?!" Sun questioned.

"That's right. I was a member for most of my life, actually. You could almost say I was born into it..." Blake said.

_Flashback Start_

_The scene shifted to reveal the silhouettes of fallen weapons plunged into the ground. Swords, guns, knives, spears, any number of weapons lay scattered._

"Back then, things were different. In the ashes of war, the White Fang was meant to be a symbol of peace and unity between Humans and the Faunus." Blake stated.

_A new image replaced the previous scene, showing the outlines of two trios. On one side was people with the outlines of animalistic features, such as tails and ears, these were the Faunus. Opposite to them, the outlines of regular people with no animal-like traits were present, these were the Humans. One person from each side was shaking hands with the other as a sign of peace. The image changed once again to reveal a white Faunus cowering in fear of gray-and-black aggressors harassing the hybrid. Later, more Faunus were seen pushing the crowd away from their bullied brethren._

"Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to discrimination and hate. Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people. And I was there." Blake continued.

_The silhouettes of Faunus protesting appeared. Emerging from the shadows was a young girl with dark hair and cat ears._

"I was at the front of every rally. I took part in every boycott. I actually thought we were making a difference. But I was just a youthful optimist." Blake commented.

_Cutting from the child version of Blake, the blue flag of a white wolf with sad eyes and a circle behind its head is lowered, in its place a flag with the image of a red monster with three bloody scratches and teeth bared at the world appeared._

"Than, five years ago, our leader stepped down, and a new one took his place. A new leader, with a new way of thinking." Blake said.

_A quick series of images are shown - Faunus replacing their picket signs with axes and blades, windows being broken, thieves leaping on trains to steal their cargo._

"Suddenly, our peaceful protests were being replaced with organized attacks. We were setting fire to shops that refused to serve us, hijacking cargo from companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect... out of fear." Blake stated.

_An image of three Faunus individuals standing in a dominating manner with malicious grins._

_Flashback End_

Blake placed her teacup down in front of a stunned Sun.

"So, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence, and instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a Huntress. So here I am: a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow." Blake said, wiggling her cat ears beneath the fashionable disguise to demonstrate.

"So... have you told your friends any of this?" Sun asked, coming to terms with what was said.

"..." Blake said nothing as she merely looked down in shame.

-With Team RHFN (Archfiend)-

"So what has happened in my absence?" Naruto asked as he walked down the streets of Vale with the rest of his team.

"Well, a bit after you left with the toads we came across some Konoha shinobi." Fu replied, causing Naruto to stop dead in his tracks.

"Konoha shinobi...?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah, they seemed to be looking for you." Han stated.

"Did you... happen to know them?" Roshi asked.

"Depends, what did some of them look like?" Naruto asked.

"Well, there was this guy with red vertical marking on his face, he was probably an Inuzuka considering he was seen with a giant white dog." Roshi said.

"Kiba and Akamaru..." Naruto murmured.

"A guy and a girl that both had long hair and these white eyes." Roshi added, listing them off on his fingers.

"Neji and Hinata..."

"A chick with two buns in her hair and a LOT of weapons." Roshi stated.

"Tenten..."

"A guy in a hood with black glasses and had a lot of bugs." Han said.

"Shino..."

"A really, REALLY weird guy that wore all green and had a bowl haircut." Fu added.

"Lee." Naruto deadpanned. Even after all this time, Lee was still Lee.

"A girl with blond hair that covered one of her eyes." Han stated.

"Ino..."

"A lazy looking guy with pineapple hair." Fu said.

"Shikamaru."

"A fat guy with red armor and brown hair."

"Chouji..." Naruto mumbled, "And don't call him fat."

"And then there was this creepy pale-skinned looking guy and a brown haired guy with a weird ability to control wood." Roshi finished.

"Now those two I don't know... But that last one sounds like a Mokuton (Wood Release) user." Naruto said.

"Blaaaake!" a shout was heard.  
"What was that?" Roshi asked.

"That voice sounds very familiar..." Naruto mumbled.

"And very close." Han added.

-With Team RWBY (Ruby), Minus Blake-

"Blaaaake!" Yang called out, her little sister having done the same seconds ago. Currently the trio of Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were walking down the streets of Vale, calling out in vain for their missing teammate.

"Blaaaaaaaake! Where aaaare yoooouuuu!?" Ruby called out.

"Blake!" Yang called out again.

"Weiiiiss, you're not helping!" Ruby said, turning to her white haired teammate.

"Oh! You know what might be able to help? The police!" Weiss said.

"Ugh, _Weiss_..." Ruby said, crossing her arms in irritation.

"It was just an idea!" Weiss defended.

"Yeah, a _bad_ one." Ruby said whilst walking down the sidewalk.

"Ruby?" a new voice questioned. Looking to their left, the trio saw the approaching forms of Team RHFN.

"Naruto!" Ruby exclaimed, rushing to the blond leader of Team RHFN and enveloping him in a tackle hug that sent the two spiralling down to the ground. Naruto and Ruby stayed that way for a good minute as Ruby gave Naruto chaste kisses. "When did you get back?" she asked.

"A few days ago, I was just about to go try and find you as well." Naruto said, a small fox-like grin on his face as they got up from the ground.

"What brings you guys out here anyways?" Han asked.

"Blake turned out to be a Faunus and ran away." Yang answered, expecting collective gasps from the four only to find none.

"I kinda knew it beforehand." Roshi stated.

"I mean honestly, who didn't see this coming." Han said. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang raised their hands.

"We were trying to find her before we ran into you guys." Yang said, causing Weiss to scoff, "Weiss, I think we should hear her side of the story before we jump to any conclusions."

"I think that when we hear it, you'll all realize _I_ was right!" Weiss said.

"And I think Weiss' hair looks _wonderful_ today!" a new voice exclaimed. Turning around, the group saw Penny standing behind them.

"Aaaah! Penny! Where did you come from!?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey guys! What are you up to?" Penny cheerfully asked, ignoring Ruby's question.

"Uhh..." Ruby said.

"We're looking for our friend Blake." Yang answered.

"Ooooh, you mean the Faunus girl!" Penny said, causing the three members of Team RWBY to stare at her.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Ruby asked.

"Uhh, the cat ears?" Penny said, pointing to her head. Yang laughed a little.

"What cat ears? She wears a... bo_ooohhh_..." Yang said in realization. Silence loomed in the area as a tumbleweed was blown through in the wind.

"She does like tuna a lot..." Ruby whispered.

"So, where is she?" Penny asked.

"We don't know. She's been missing since Friday." Ruby replied.

"That's terrible!" Penny gasped, approaching an uncomfortable Ruby, "Well, don't you worry Ruby, my friend! I won't rest until we find your teammate!"

"Uh, that's really nice of you, Penny, but we're okay! Really! Right, guys?" Ruby asked, doing her best to continue smiling. She looked over Penny to direct her question at Yang and Weiss, only to find two comical blinking outlines of where her teammates were. Naruto, Han, Roshi, and Fu could only watch in silence as another tumbleweed blew past them.

"It sure is windy today!" Penny exclaimed.

"Where did the tumbleweed come from?" Naruto asked.

-With Blake and Sun-

"So, what's the plan now?" Sun asked as he placed his hands behind his head. Currently Sun and Blake were walking down an alley as they planned their next course of actions.

"I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They've never needed that much Dust before." Blake contemplated.

"What if they _did_?" Sun questioned, his eye widening. He lowered his arms and paced in front of Blake as he continued speaking, "I mean... the only way to prove that they _didn't_ do it, is to go to the place where they would most _likely_ go to if they _were_ to do it, and not find them there! Right?"

"The only thing is, I've no idea where that would be." Blake said.

"Well, while I was on the ship, I heard some guys talking about offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas." Sun stated.

"How huge?" Blake asked.

"_Huge_. Big Schnee Company freighter." Sun said.

"You sure?" Blake questioned.

-With Weiss and Yang-

"-Thanks anyways!" Yang yelled as she came out of a shop with Weiss, waving to the person inside. "This is hopeless." she sighed, looking at Weiss as she looked around nonchalantly, "You really don't care if we find her, do you?"

"Don't be stupid; of _course_ I do. I'm just afraid of what she'll say when we find her." Weiss replied, walking forward as she called over her shoulder, "The innocent never run, Yang!" she exclaimed, causing Yang to look down in thought.

-With Ruby, and Penny-

"So, Blake is your friend?" Penny asked, causing Ruby to sigh as the group made their way down the sidewalk.

"Yes, Penny." Ruby replied.

"But you're mad at her?" Penny questioned.

"Yes. Well, I'm not. _Weiss_ is." Ruby said.

"Is _she_ friends with Blake?" Penny asked.

"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now..." Ruby stated.

"But _why_?" Penny asked, trying to contemplate what was said, causing Ruby to sigh again.

"Well, you see, Blake might not be who we thought she was..." Ruby said, causing Penny to gasp.

"Is she a **man**?" Penny asked.

"No! No, Penny. She's..." Ruby said, but stopped herself and sighed. She looked at Penny, "I don't know what she is. She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."

"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things." Penny said, Ruby turning her gaze downward sadly.

"Me too..." Ruby said as they continued walking.

-With Team RHFN-

"Any of you guys know a tracking jutsus?" Naruto asked as he crouched near the ground.

"No, I don't think any of us know any sensor jutsus either." Roshi said. That last part got Naruto in deep thought as suddenly a comical light bulb appeared above his head.

"I think I just got an idea..." Naruto said as he tried to stand up, only for the light bulb above his head to shatter as shrapnel covered his face, "Ah! I got glass in my face!"

-With Blake and Sun, Five Hours Later-

Amidst the chirping of crickets and darkness of night, Blake was laying flat on her stomach on a rooftop overlooking the shipment of Schnee Dust containers.

"Did I miss anything?" Sun asked dropping down to the right of Blake.

"Not really. They've offloaded the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

"Cool." Sun said, holding out one of the green apples in his arms, "I stole you some food!"

"Do you always break the law without giving a second thought?" Blake asked, giving Sun a questioning look.

"Hey, weren't you in a cult or something?" Sun countered, Blake delivering an angry glare at him, "Okay, too soon!"

Suddenly, the sound of four pairs of feet landing behind the duo was heard. Turning around, Blake and Sun prepared their weapons to strike, but hesitated when seeing who it was. Standing behind them was the four members of Team RHFN. Orange pigments seemed to be around Naruto's eyes, but other than that, not much had changed about the team.

"So this is where you were hiding." Roshi said.

"What are you guys doing here?" Blake asked.

"We were helping the rest of your team search for you." Roshi replied, "The real question is, what are _you_ doing here?"

Before Blake could reply, the wind began to blow all around them. Looking up, the group saw a Bullhead's searchlights flashing around for a landing spot. The ship descended in the middle of the cargo containers and a ramp extended for a black hooded individual with a metallic fanged mask to come out of.

"Oh no..." Blake said as she watched the new people arriving.

"Is that them?" Sun asked.  
"Yes... It's _them_." Blake said, staring at the bloody wolf on the back of the man's outfit.

"The White Fang?" Naruto questioned.

"All right, grab the tow cables!" one of the White Fang soldiers ordered, motioning with his rifle to the other White Fang members coming from the aircraft.

"You really didn't think they were behind it, did you?" Sun asked.

"No. I think deep down I knew. I just didn't want to be right." Blake said, staring sadly at the scene.

"Who are you again?" Naruto asked.  
"The name's Sun Wukong." Sun said, extending his hand to the blonde fox Faunus.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you." Naruto said, shaking Sun's hand. Blake had closed her eyes in despair, only to open them suddenly as a new voice was heard.

"Hey! What's the holdup!?" Looking at the source of the new voice, the group saw the infamous Roman Torchwick walking around. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?"

"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a Human. Especially not one like that." Blake said, standing up and unsheathing the katana of Gambol Shroud before walking off the edge of the roof.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Sun said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she knows what she's doing." Naruto said. The blond leader of Team RHFN looked to his teammates and nodded his head. Roshi, Han, and Fu nodded back and leapt off into the shadows.

Meanwhile with Blake, said girl fell to the ground in a crouch and proceeded to hide behind one of the containers, peeking around the corner to see Roman berate a White Fang member holding a coil of rope.

"No, you idiot! This isn't a leash!" Roman said. As he looked around, Blake suddenly appeared behind him with her blade at his throat. "What the- Oh, for f-" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes when he was cut off by Blake mid-swear.

"Nobody move!" Blake yelled, the White Fang soldiers readied their guns and equipped their swords in response.

"Whoa! Take it easy there, little lady." Roman said. As the White Fang closed in on her, Blake used her free hand to go for her bow and removed it, causing the ribbon to fall away as her Faunus ears were shown to the world.

"Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" Blake questioned. The White Fang members lowered their weapons a little at this development, unsure of what to do, when Roman began laughing.

"Oh, kid, didn't you get the memo?" Roman said.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together!" Roman exclaimed.

"Tell me what it is or I'll put an end to your little operation." Blake commanded. Suddenly, the air was filled with more turbines blowing the wind wildly around the holdup.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation..." Roman said as he looked up.

Looking up as well, Blake watched in horror as two more Bullheads hovered above the heist. Roman smiled and managed to fire his cane at Blake's feet, resulting in a large explosion.

-With Penny and Ruby-

As Penny and Ruby continued their search for Blake, an explosion was heard causing the duo to turn around and see smoke rising from the docking bay just a few buildings away.

"Oh, no..." Ruby said as the rushed to the source of the explosion.

-With Blake and Sun-

Blake, dazed but relatively unhurt on the ground, quickly rolled and ran out of the way of Roman's continued attacks, flaming missiles destroying cargo behind her as she retreated behind more containers.

"Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." Roman taunted as he approached the containers slowly. His taunt was interrupted when a banana peel landed on his head, causing him to look up and growl at the assailant. Sun leapt from the container above Roman and dropped down on the criminal's face feet-first, rolling up and readying himself to fight.

"Leave her alone!" Sun exclaimed. The Bullheads above opened up to let more White Fang members descend on the scene, standing by Roman as he got up and surrounded Sun.

"You're not the brightest banana in the bunch, are you, kid?" Roman questioned. With that said, the White Fang members charged at Sun, but he managed to dodge slashed meant for him and get some of the soldiers with his fists and kicks until he rolled out of the way. As he pulled out a collapsible red staff, four shadows blurred past him and began assaulting the White Fang members. Looking closer at the four blurs, Sun and Blake saw Roshi, Han, Fu, and Naruto attacking. Roshi had his twin revolver-knives out, Han was knocking soldiers down with his waraxe-shotgun, Fu was striking people down left and right with her tonfa-submachine guns, and Naruto was hacking and slashing with his Kubikiribōchō. Sun jumped into the fray and began to beat down nearby opponents with his staff.

Blake peered around the corner of the container to watch Sun and Team RHFN jump around and beat more White Fang soldiers, causing one to fly over Roman's head. The crime boss growled in annoyance and aimed his cane at the group. The shot was deflected by Sun when suddenly Blake leapt into the action.

"He's mine!" Blake exclaimed, lunging at Roman. She went in close and became a blur of afterimages as she slashed both blades at Roman, who backed away and deflected each would-be-blow with his cane at unbelievable speeds. Blake continued to dash, hop over, and slide around Roman to try and find a weak spot, but her enemy, while barely deflecting the attacks, lands a few hits on Blake until one final beating with his cane caused her to go down.

Just as Roman dealt with one opponent, the crime boss had to duck under a swipe from a massive blade by Naruto. Swinging his cane down at the blond fox, Naruto pulled out his tantō and blocked the incoming attack.

"Never thought I'd see your face again, blondie!" Roman growled.

"Right back at ya, Flaky!" Naruto grinned, causing Roman's eye to twitch in annoyance at the nickname. After jumping back to avoid the blond's giant blade, Roman was once again assaulted as Sun appeared right in front of him and disconnected his staff in two spinning circles of flame-firing shotgun nunchucks. Sun swung each gun at Roman while firing everything he had at him, but even with the rapid series of shots and flying bullets, Roman managed to defend himself against every bullet and hit until a millisecond-long pause allowed Blake to get a slash in and knock him back.

On his back, Roman noticed a container hanging by a crane right above the three warriors, and got up to fire his cane at the trio. With the three momentarily distracted, Roman fired another shot from his cane at the supports to the container. Naruto deflected the projectile coming at him and was unable to reach the second shot in time, Blake leapt behind it, but Sun barely missed when he jumped forward, ending up with below the nozzle of Roman's cane. Just as Roman was about to fire, his and Sun's attention was drawn to a familiar voice.

"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed, appearing on the rooftop overlooking them, Crescent Rose extended and ready for action.

"Well, hello, Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman mocked, losing his interest in Sun as he waved at Ruby.

"Ruby, are these people your friends?" Penny asked as she approached Ruby.

"Penny, get back!" Ruby exclaimed, looking behind her. While her attention was diverted, Roman snarled and fired his cane at her, launching the young Huntress-in-training back from the explosion's force and sending her scythe flying away. "AAAAAH!"

"Ruby!" Naruto exclaimed as he rushed over to help up said girl.

Roman gave off a professional-level evil laugh at his attack on the young girl. Penny turned her head toward the criminal and gave her first glare, walking forward while Ruby tried to get back up with the help of Naruto, her arm over his shoulder in support.

"Penny, wait! Stop!" Ruby yelled, raising her hand in a futile attempt to stop Penny.

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'm combat ready!" Penny exclaimed. Her backpack mechanically opened up, and from its dark depths come a single sword that extended and multiplied into several blades hovering over Penny's back. Leaping from the rooftop with the weapons acting as wings, Penny sent three of her swords to knock two White Fang soldiers down before even landing on the ground, where she proceeded to fling the swords at one enemy, impaling another to a wall, creating a barrier of spinning steel against a running attack, leaping over a goon with her swords in tow, and finally making a wheel that she threw to knock multiple Faunus off their feet.

"Whoa!" Sun exclaimed in amazement before running off to safety.

'How the heck is she doing that?!' Naruto thought.

"**It looks like some form of psychic attack. Maybe she's manipulating the gravity around to her will, but that would take years to perfect even levitating one object, let alone several.**" Kurama stated.

Three Bullheads came from the skies and open fired on the battle, but Penny merely formed a shield and launched two of her swords into the wall behind her, which in turn pulled their wielder back with their strings. When her swords swirled around her again, Penny commanded them to open their points and build up a large glowing ball of green light. With a punching action, several bright lasers cracked the pavement when they fired at the transports and sliced each one in half, causing several of the White Fang members inside to fall and letting Ruby and Naruto watch as the Bullheads fell in pieces behind her.

Stunned, the duo turned back to Penny as she aimed her swords at the remaining Bullheads holding the crate of Dust and pulled back on their wires, tugging the aircraft with them.

"Whoa... How is she doing that?" Ruby asked.

"That right there is the million Lien question." Naruto said.

Seeing the Bullhead's flight fall under Penny's control, Roman grimaced and turned to run towards the last transport.

Penny, after her large green pupils dilated for a second, pulled with all her might on the strings, and the aircraft crashed into a stack of crates, causing an explosion as a result.

"These kids just keep getting _weirder_..." Roman muttered as he watched from the safety of his escape. With his observation made, he used his cane to close the doors, and the jet lifted off, flying away from the lost battle.

Later that day, a handful of police cars arrived at the docks, where the members of Team RHFN, Ruby, Blake, Sun, and Penny sat on top of boxes in silence. That is, until Weiss and Yang appeared on the scene.

"Look, Weiss, it's not what you think, she explained the whole thing. See, she doesn't actually have a bow, she had kitty ears and they're actually king of cute..." Ruby quickly spoke, trying to explain the situation, only to be ignored by Weiss as the white haired girl squared off with Blake.

"Weiss, I want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with the-" Blake stared, calmly looking Weiss down.

"Stop! Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?" Weiss asked, allowing a pause, "_Twelve_ hours. That means I've had twelve hours to think about this. And in that twelve hours, I've decided..." she said, Yang, Sun, Ruby, and the members of Team RHFN looking on in worry. "I don't care." Weiss finished.

"You don't care?" Blake questioned in surprise.  
"You said you're not one of them anymore, right?" Weiss asked.

"No, I-I haven't been since I was younger-" Blake started, Weiss silencing her.

"Ah-bah-bah-bah-bah! I don't want to hear it. All I want to know is that the next time something this big comes up... you'll come to your teammates. And not some..." Weiss said, looking at Sun behind her as she caught herself, "Someone else."

"Of course." Blake said, wiping a tear from her eye and nodded as she looked at Ruby and Yang grinning at her. Weiss smiled and nodded. The moment was serious for a second more until Ruby screamed.

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" Ruby exclaimed waving her arms wildly as confetti poured down and a comical "hurray!" was heard. The four looked at Naruto as the blond fox did his best to look innocent and not laugh.

"I'm still not quite sure about how I feel about you!" Weiss said, pointing at Sun before pointing at Team RHFN, "Or you guys!"

"Meh. I can live with that." Naruto said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, wait a minute... Where's Penny?" Ruby asked, looking around for the overly cheerful girl.

From the darkened back seat of a limo, Penny watched the group of friends reuniting with each other.

"You should know better than to go running around in a strange city." A mysterious masculine voice said.

"I know, sir." Penny said, lowering her head sadly.

"Penny, your time will come..." the mystery man said as the car they were in drove off from the scene.

-Beacon Academy-

Meanwhile, Ozpin held a scroll showing a "LIVE FEED" of Team RWBY and Team RHFN at the docks. He closes the video and opened up a communication with Qrow. Other than his name, the rest of the information on Qrow was missing or unknown. The only other writing was a message reading: "QUEEN HAD PAWNS".

"Hmmm..." Ozpin mumbled.

-Unknown Location-

Roman walked into a large warehouse with a shadowy interior. He went over to a table and placed a case of mysterious contents, sighing in tiredness.

"How very disappointing, Roman-san." a mysterious deep voice said. Roman turned around suddenly as he looked in the direction of the source of the voice.

"Whoa! Hehe... I wasn't expecting to see you guys so soon..." Roman said, a mysterious black haired woman with glowing yellow-orange eyes appeared next to the dark silhouette of a man. Behind them was two less shadowy figures of a purple-haired man and a mint-haired, tanned woman.

"I was expecting... _more_ from you." the mystery man said.

"Hey! You were the ones who suggested working with those stupid mutts from the White Fang." Roman countered, causing the mystery man to chuckle darkly.

"And you will continue to do so." the mystery man said as he began to walk away, "We have _big_ plans for you, Roman. All we ask is... a little cooperation."

Chapter End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDD Done! You know, I considered making an omake in this chapter for the RWBYsaurus after looking at the trivia found at the bottom of the RWBY wiki page for Black and White, but I decided against it. I got a bigger idea for an omake using RWBYsaurus than using him in this chapter. Anyways, I've been contemplating this for a long time in relation to something I have planned for Naruto, and I decided to do it. ****Somewhere**** in this chapter, I placed a hint as to what I have planned for Naruto later on.**

**The next update after this will be for DSM.**

**Anyways, as I said above before the start of the chapter, after I publish chapter 15 for this story, I'm going to take a break to revise the earlier chapters as I've gotten quite a few complaints as of lately about them.**

**So I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review! See ya!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	15. Chapter 15- The Day of Pranks

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeelllllloooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Now I have something important to say: I'm going to take a break from writing my stories for a bit to revise my original chapters so that you guys don't keep complaining about it to me. This includes chapters 1-6 of this story, so don't expect any new chapters for about 2-3 weeks. But that's only part of the reason why. Officially, I'm on vacation, relaxing at the beach or by the pool side, wearing a black bowler's hat.**

**On a side note, I'm going to be experimenting with this story a bit, giving it an opening and an ending, like all animes. So give your feedback on what you think about that.**

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**And now to review your reviews:**

**Karlos1234ify- Although I do plan on having Naruto complete his Sage training, that's not what I was talking about when I said I have plans for Naruto. As I said before, I left a hint as to what I have planned for Naruto back in chapter 14. And yes, I've seen Volume 2 of RWBY. I'm patiently waiting for the big invasion/tournament arc to happen. When the transcripts for those come out, I'll be able to write accordingly for both this story and SNK.**

**TheRagingMaelstrom- I'll say this now, this chapter will pave way for the inevitable reunion of the Rookie 12... and Yamato and Sai.**

**OBSERVER01- Damn right there's going to be an epic fight between Pein and Team RHFN. That is a given.**

**Aisk- This next statement relates back to my hint I left in the last chapter about what I have planned for Naruto: Naruto, after what I have planned takes effect, will have a 75% increase in badass-ery. You get an internet cookie if you figure it out.**

**yukicrewger2- Fu is part of Team RHFN. And Utakata... what are you talking about? Utakata isn't in Remnant, he's dead. You know, Akatsuki and all.**

** \- I know, I've been watching the latest episodes of RWBY Volume 2.**

**W0lfbr0ther- Interesting fighting style idea... I'll think on it. But it likely won't happen. Not because I don't like the idea, don't get me wrong, it's a great idea. It's just that I already have something similar planned for Naruto that allows him to use multiple weapons simultaneously. That is the second hint as to what I have planned for Naruto...**

**120xion- ... A-wha...? I have no clue what you're talking about. The only food fight scene from RWBY Volume 2 I've done so far is for my other fanfic, Shakunetsu No Koi.**

**Guest (Aug. 7)- I am actually looking forward to making the reunion scene with Naruto and the Rookie 11 myself... Except what I have planned is something I'm not going to reveal as of right now.**

**Cerberusx- For the tenth time that I've counted, I'M GOING TO REVISE MY EARLIER CHAPTERS AFTER I POST THIS CHAPTER!**

**Dragon and Sword Master (chapter 14)- I'll give myself a pat on the back once more for coming up with Team Archfiend. It just sounds awesome and logical to me. As for the pairing I made for this story, I think it's pretty unique considering there aren't that many Naruto/RWBY crossover fanfics out there. Well, not that many that have gotten to the point where they can officially in plain text show what the pairing is. I don't get the DASM 555 Henshin Complete thing though, it confuses me.**

**butterflypuss (chapter 2)- Haran Uzumaki was the last Uzukage of Uzushiogakure. Which means that he's seen some weird stuff in the last war. We're talking about a land filled with people who on a daily basis do the impossible.**

**butterflypuss (chapter 7)- He may or may not be one, I'm not sure at this point in time.**

**butterflypuss (chapter 13)- Ruby had no time to defend Blake because one: she was just as surprised as everyone else was at the revelation, two: she didn't know that Blake was a Faunus beforehand, and three: Derp de derpy derp.**

**EndGame666- Let me be the first to say that I have become a better writer as this story progressed on. Now that I do have a better understanding of sentence and paragraph structure I'm going to revise my earlier chapters. So expect nothing new for a bit.**

**And Now, I Give You Chapter 15 of TMH! Read And Review!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

The screen is black, when suddenly, a white burst of light starts the opening sequence.

* * *

_**(Play GO! by FLOW (Naruto Opening 4 Theme))**_

Yellow lightning arched across the middle of the screen, starting the music. As the lightning began dissipating, the left half of the screen light up with a light red color background for Roshi striking a fighting pose with his dual pistol-knife hybrids.

The image began fading to black and was replaced with an upper horizontal shot of Han, his battle axe-shotgun hybrid strapped to his back as the rather large member of Team RHFN had both his hands held in a a Tora (Tiger) seal, the background being light brown in color.

At the same time, on the lower right corner of the screen, Fu appeared crouched down, her two tonfa-submachine guns out and prepared to strike, a teal color being present in the background.

The two images faded to black simultaneously and were replaced by an image of Naruto. The blonde fox had Kubikiribōchō strapped to his back, his tantō strapped to the right side of his waist, and his two pistols holstered on both sides of his waist. In his hands, Naruto held an unraveled storage scroll, the background for this one was a bright orange.

The image turned black before suddenly a larger image of the four members of Team RHFN in their poses became present. The background appeared a light blue in color and had the darkened outline of the Uzumaki clan swirl present.

_We are Fighting Dreamers!_

_Takami wo mezashite_

The image of Team RHFN was transitioned by a larger scroll unraveling, revealing a montage of images. Starting with a different image of Team RHFN staring into the distance to the left. Naruto suddenly jumped back from behind the screen into the next panel. The next to panels were about the same size as half the previous one, fitting two in the same space.

The top panel was of Ruby smiling at the camera, giving a small wave, and Weiss, the latter looking to the right in annoyance as if not wanting to be present. The bottom panel consisted of Blake, who was currently reading a small orange book with a small trickle of blood coming from her nose, and Yang, who had her arm draped around Blake's shoulder as she gave a peace sign to the camera.

_Fighting Dreamers!_

_Narifuri kamawazu_

Roshi jumped out from outside the camera's point of view from the left, hoping into the next panel as he, like Naruto, struck a fighting pose. The next panel consisted of three images. The top one being of, from left to right, a small monkey, an annoyed foal, and Gamakichi, the first and the last seemingly in a conversation with the foal. The middle image was of Glynda Goodwitch and John Ozpin. And the bottom image was of a large close up of an overjoyed Penny as she somewhat over-eagerly (and somewhat creepily) stared at the camera.

_Fighting Dreamers!_

_Shinjiru ga mama ni_

_Oli Oli Oli Oh-! Just go my way!_

Fu and Han, like Naruto and Roshi, jumped out from outside of the camera's view and into two separate pannels, Fu taking up the next panel while Han took the bottom part of the panel after that. Above Han was a picture of Jaune giving a peace sign alongside Pyrrha, the latter giving a thumbs up at the camera. To the right of Han's panel was an image of Nora and Ren staring at the camera. The final panel consisted of Naruto standing beside his grandfather, Haran Uzumaki. Naruto, despite being tall for his age, was still short in comparison to Haran.

Suddenly, a silhouette of Kisame jumped out in front of the camera and pulled out Samehada and swung at the camera. The image turned black, save for the bandages around Samehada. Written alongside the bandages was the opening title: "The Maelstrom Hunter".

_Right here! Right now(Go!)_

_Buppanase like a danga liner!_  
_Right here! Right now (Burn!)_

The title screen was transitioned by the flames of Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination) into an image of Itachi's eyes opening, revealing three tomoe in each eye.

_Kewashii shura no michi no naka hito no chizu wo hirogete doko e yuku?_

The image of Itachi's eyes was transitioned by an unraveling scroll, revealing an image of Team RWBY, JNPR, and RHFN standing in a field with some clouds up in the sky. From left to right, there was Nora, Naruto, Yang, Ruby, Ren, Roshi, Blake, Weiss, Fu, Han, Jaune, and Pyrrha.

_Gokusaishoku no karasu ga sore wo ubaitotte yaburisuteta_

The next panel was of the Rookie 11, which consisted of, from left to right, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Tenten, Neji, Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Sasuke, and Sakura.

_Saa kokoro no me_

_Mihiraite shika to ima wo mikiwamero! (Yeah!)_

The image was once again transitioned by an unraveling scroll. The image that replaced the previous one was of a more traditional photo. The girls were dressed up in Japanese kimonos and had their hair done in fancy styles. Jaune was launched across the screen by Pyrrha's spear, Miló. Following him was Ren, who had his hands in his pockets as he lazily went after Jaune. Next was Han who ran across the screen, followed by John Ozpin, Sun Wukong, and a rather fidgety Bartholomew Oobleck.

As soon as the last person went across the screen, four chibi versions of (This is going clockwise) Kurama, Kokuo, Chomei, and Son Goku each holding up their right hands, which in turn covered part of their faces.

_Ushinau mono nante nai sa Iza mairou!_

As soon as the four chibi bijuu disappeared, Peter Port ran across the screen, followed by Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. Following after them was Haran Uzumaki and Naruto, Haran momentarily stopped to perversely stare at Glynda Goodwitch, who was wearing a kimono yet still had a stoic face. Naruto caught on to what his grandfather was doing and kicked him along. Velvet peaked her head out of the left side of the screen momentarily before this happened.

_We are Fighting Dreamers!_  
_Takami wo mezashite_

The image of Team RWBY, JNPR, and RHFN clumped together with serious faces with a red background was quickly replaced by an image of Sasuke with his sword drawn and Sakura holding two shuriken in hand.

_Fighting Dreamers!_  
_Narifuri kamawazu_

The image rapidly changed back to Team RWBY, JNPR, and RHFN before changing to the teachers of Beacon Academy striking fighting poses. Of these people included, Glynda Goodwitch, John Ozpin, Bartholomew Oobleck, and Peter Port

_Fighting Dreamers!_  
_Shinjiru ga mam ni_

_Oli Oli Oli Oh-! Just go my way!_

The close up image of the teams soon changed into an image of Roshi and Naruto, only the latter had different attire. Instead of his usual ANBU attire, Naruto wore a dark red sage-like cloak (Naruto's Toad Sage Cloak), a blue open flak jacket underneath, and an Uzushiogakure headband in a similar manner to Kakashi, only it covered his left eye instead.

_Right here! Right now (Go!)_

_Buppanase like a dangan liner!_

An image of Ruby and Naruto in a midair tackle hug, both having smiles present on their faces with their eyes closed, was present in place of the previous image. This was quickly replaced by an image of Kisame and Itachi in their Akatsuki cloaks. The panel next to this was of Sasuke holding his hand out as a Chidori (One Thousand Birds) cackled violently.

_Right here! Right now (Burn!)_

_Buttakitteku ze catch on fire!_

The next image was of Team RHFN enjoying a festival of sorts. Replaced by an image of Roman Torchwick and a few of his lackeys standing over a table with a map. There were a few markings in red of the map and the map itself resembled that of a region of Vytal.

_Right here! Right now (Go!)_

_Buppanase like a dangan liner!_

An image of a fake smiling Yamato with his ANBU mask partially taken off and Sai became present. This was soon replaced by an image of Naruto standing on top of a serious Gamabunta. Across from him was Tendō (Deva Path), Shuradō (Asura Path), Ningendō (Human Path), Chikushōdō (Animal Path), Gakidō (Preta Path), and Jigokudō (Naraka Path), all six Peins were standing atop a rhino-like summoning beast.

_Right here! Right now (Burn!)_

_Buttakitteku catch on fire! (Bam!)_

The image was replaced by an image of Naruto with his back to the camera, yet still looking at it, alongside the silhouettes of his fellow Jinchūriki teammates. This was soon replaced with three panels. The first was of John Ozpin, who had a survivor's guilt look to his face. The next panel was of Ruby, who looked off into the distance with slight concern. And the final panel was of Naruto, who threw a punch at the screen causing it to fade to white as the music finished and the chapter began.

* * *

-Unknown Location, Five Days Later-

The sun had barely peaked above the horizon as the _SS Great Western_ was near silent, save for the sounds of the ship's engines and the sound of waves gently crashing against the hull of the ship. Only a dozen crew members were awake at the time, one being stationed up in the crow's nest. The sailor sighed as he continued staring out at the foggy path the ship was set for. He lost the weekly game of cards and now he was stuck with crow's nest duty. It sucked because it always was cold, damp, and there was a high chance that nothing would be spotted. The lone sailor lazily looked past the bow of the ship and into the fog lazily. An hour or so passed before anything happened.

Suddenly, there was a small blinking light off in the distance. The sailor dismissed it though as he continued staring forward. A few minutes later, he noticed the blinking light appearing closer than last time, catching his attention. The fog had thinned a bit as the sun rose more, allowing the sailor in the crow's nest to see the dark outline of what appeared to be a buoy. But that couldn't be it, right?

'I mean... how could anything be out here...?' the sailor thought. As the ship sailed closer and closer to the blinking light, his theory was proven wrong as there was a blinking light coming from the now identified buoy.

"Captain!" the sailor called out, "Buoy up ahead!"

"What do 'ya mean buoy up ahead?!" Roy questioned.

"I said there's a buoy up ahead!" the sailor yelled, "Land 'ho!"

-Beacon Academy, Friday-

Naruto sighed as he tapped his pencil against the desk he was using, half-listening to one of Mr. Oobleck's lectures. After the whole mess with Torchwick, things had become peaceful. Too peaceful. There was nothing to do. A few minutes later, the bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. Naruto jumped out of his seat and rushed to the door, much like everyone else.

"Oh, and class!" Bartholomew started, catching the attention of the students trying to leave. "The Board of Education has felt the need to give a day to the students. So in two days time, there will be a prank day. Anyone can prank or be the victim of one, and in the twenty-four hours of the day, there will be no consequences to any pranks pulled during this time. So I suggest you prepare yourselves... Have a good day, class. There's no homework for the weekend."

And with that, everyone rushed out of the room. Some to gather the necessary pranking supplies, and some to gather the necessities to escape being pranked.

-The Drunken Clam, Saturday-

"-I swear to ye, I ain't lying!" Jacob slurred out, taking another sip of his whiskey.

"You definitely are! There is no land beyond the Red Ocean with civilization!" one of the more sober men exclaimed.

"Jacob's right, we came from beyond tharee!" Roy exclaimed, completely wasted.

"You're drunk, probably making this story up." the bartender stated.

"Oh, 'ya don't believe us, ey?! Well then, send people out there 'ta see fer yerselvesss!" Jacob said.

"Fine! I'll send a request for an exploration beyond the Red Ocean." one of the men conceded, "You'll see, there's nothing out there."

-Beacon Academy Courtyard-

Naruto and Ruby began walking down the pathway, talking about anything interesting that happened during the week.

"So the Day of Pranks is coming up..." Naruto said.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm gonna be part of it." Ruby said.

"Considering that I'm going to be part of that day, it's a good idea not to be part of it." Naruto stated.

"I'm pretty sure Yang is going to try to prank you." Ruby stated.

"Hmm... That gives me an idea..." Naruto exclaimed before pulling Ruby in to hear what he was planning.

-Team RHFN Dorm Room, Later That Day-

Nearly all the lights were off, save for a single light that gave the room a mysterious feel. There was only two people in the room, silently staring the other down.

"Why did you call me here?" Naruto asked.

"I have a business proposition for you..." Roshi said, walking partially into the light so that part of him was visible.

"I'm listening..." Naruto said.

"We won't prank each other Monday." Roshi stated, "Not until we've pranked everyone else."

"And why should I agree? For all I know, you could just be planning to strike when my guard is down." Naruto said skeptically.

"Let's face the facts, Naruto. You and I are the best pranksters in this academy." Roshi stated, extending his hand, "But there can only be one, so let us battle one-on-one after taking out the rest of the competition."

"I should say no and just walk away right now. But, I do like the idea of settling this once and for all... You got yourself a deal." Naruto said, shaking Roshi's hand.

-Unknown Location, Sunday-

"**Are you sure about this, kit?**" Kurama asked his container.

'Of course I'm not sure, but how else will I raise enough Lien to buy the necessary prank supplies?' Naruto asked rhetorically as he walked through the building. Soon enough, the blonde fox found the room he was searching for. 'May Kami forgive me for what I am about to do...' Naruto thought, using a henge to transform into a _very_ familiar super pervert before walking through the door.

"Hello, sir, how may I help you?" The publisher asked.

"Ah, yes, I have a book I'd like to publish as soon as possible..." Naruto said, his voice sounding like Jiraiya's.

-The Afterlife-

Jiraiya suddenly perked up, his super pervert senses going haywire.

"I feel a disturbance in the perv..." Jiraiya mumbled in a trance-like state, "As if my godson has made me so proud right now..."

"**Go for it, Naruto! Bring about a new golden age of perverts!**" Kami exclaimed as she watched Naruto chat with the publisher about publishing the _Icha Icha_ series in Remnant.

At the same time Jiraiya perked up, every man, regardless of age and perverseness, raised their hands up to the sky in a praising manner.

"Our time has come! The perverted empire shall rise beyond!" they chorused as one.

Meanwhile, with every anti-pervert they had a sense of dread dawn upon them.

-Beacon Academy, Monday-

The hallways of the academy was eerily silent as a lone breeze blew through the area. The school bell had just rung, signifying the time in between the beginning of school and the beginning of classes was over.

"Attention all students, the annual Day of Pranks shall begin in just a few moments. If you are not pranking, then it is advised that you stay off the streets and hallways." Ozpin said over the intercom, "The Day of Pranks begins in three... two... one. Good luck."

As soon as the words left his mouth, chaos ensued. Students of both genders, species, and grade began their pranks, ranging from spraying soda to joy buzzer tag to even cream pie launchers.

These petty pranks continued for two hours before it died down. Now it was time for the more extreme pranksters to strike. And no one was safe...

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

"Are you sure about this, Yang?" Ruby asked in concern as her sister began arming herself with various pranking items.

"Oh lighten up a bit, sis. I'll be fine." Yang said dismissively.

"For once, I agree with Yang." Weiss said as she too armed herself for prank battle.

"Weiss?! I thought you'd be the voice of reason here and tell her that it's not a good idea!" Ruby exclaimed.

"This is the only time of year that everyone gets to enjoy themselves." Weiss stated, "The question is, why aren't you two pranking?"

"I don't feel like it." Blake said bluntly before going back to reading the book in her hands, a small trickle of blood coming out of her nose as she read on. If one were to look closely at the title of the book, they would see the words _Icha Icha Paradise_ on the cover.

"I was warned that Naruto would be out there." Ruby said, a hint of fear in her voice at the mention of her boyfriend being involved with pranks.

"You're scared of that idiot? Then why are you dating him?" Weiss asked.

"I'm not scared of him. I'm scared of his pranking tendencies." Ruby stated.

"Naruto's in on this? Well, I'm not surprised by that." Yang said. Suddenly a banging sound was heard at their door, scaring the four girls slightly. Yang approached the door and hesitantly opened it. She only opened the door slightly, but whoever was at the door pushed it open, revealing a battered Jaune. The blonde leader of Team JNPR collapsed on the floor, his clothes slightly burned, hairs poking out of his head at odd angles, and a note was taped onto his back.

Yang pulled the note off of Jaune's back as the latter groaned in pain.

_You're time shall come soon, Yang. Soon, you will fall victim as he did..._

_-The Orange Fox_

The message made Yang pale slightly, having seen the condition that Jaune was currently in.

"What's the note say?" Weiss asked.

"The game has begun..." Yang muttered.

"Um, Weiss... what happened to your hair...?" Blake questioned. Weiss looked at her confusingly before feeling her head for any changes. She felt none, but rushed to the nearest mirror and shrieked.

Staring back at herself in the mirror, Weiss discovered her once white hair was now hot pink in color.

"Wha-! But-! How-?!" Weiss stammered, questioning how her hair was now hot pink when not even a minute ago it was white. Another note fell down from the ceiling. Grabbing it, Weiss read its contents out loud.

"You've been pranked by the master... _The Red Monkey_...?" Weiss said in confusion.

-Team CRDL Dorm Room-

The room was dark and disheveled as Cardin, Russel, Dove, and Sky stood in the center back-to-back, holding either a pillow, a PDA, or in Cardin's case, a lamp.

"Who are you!?" Cardin exclaimed fearfully. The four were currently being terrorized by an unknown person that had yet to reveal who they were.

"Kukukukuku... Wow, I just sounded like Hebi-teme for a second." the 'mysterious' voice said, "I am the Infamous Orange Fox!"

And with that, a shadow jumped out of the darkness, two strange objects in his hands when suddenly, he threw said objects before fleeing.

-In the Hallways-

Yang proceeded through the hallways cautiously, a pump-action water gun filled with soda in her hands. A rustling sound was heard from the door to her right, causing her to jump slightly and aim her weapon at the sound's source. The door suddenly opened, a foul stench coming out of the room as the members of Team CRDL crawled out.

"Save yourself..." Cardin desperately called out, frantically grabbing and shaking Yang before collapsing on the ground.

"Who did this?" Yang asked.

"The Orange Fox..." Russel managed to say.

Before she could say anything else, a pink blur passed by her. Yang looked in the direction of the blur in confusion.

"Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee COFFEE!" Nora yelled, literally bouncing off the walls of the hallway.

"Yang!" Ren called out. Turning in the direction that Nora came from, Yang saw Ren and Pyrrha running towards her. Both had various drawings and markings on their faces. "Have you seen Nora?"

"She went that way." Yang said, motioning to the direction that the orange-haired girl went to. "What happened anyways?"

"She was given espresso." Pyrrha said.

"And your faces?" Yang asked.

"We both woke up like this." Ren said.

"REN!" Nora exclaimed, colliding with said person, causing both to fall to the floor. "Ineedmorecoffeecoffeeisgreatdoyouhaveanycoffee! (Translation: I need more coffee! Coffee is great! Do you have any coffee?!)"

"Nora, please calm down-" Ren started, but was cut off.

"I feel REALLY great Ren!" Nora said, causing Ren to sigh.

"Nora-" Ren said, but was cut off when a pair of lips met his own. Nora kissed him, effectively surprising and making him quiet at the same time. As Ren stood there dumbfound, Nora giggled before running off again.

"Nora, wait!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she ran after the hyperactive orange haired girl again, Ren shaking himself out of his trance-like state a few seconds later before following after the two, a small noticeable blush being apparent on his face.

-Professor Ozpin's Office-

John stared out his office window down at the chaos below. Left and right, students were being pranked, pranking, or falling under the category of both. Before anything else could happen, a loud thud was heard against his door. Now, if it were any other day, Ozpin would rush to the door to see who it was and what they needed. But considering today was meant for pranks, he ignored it. A second bang was heard against his door, followed by a third, and a fourth, and so on.

Curiosity got the better of him as he walked to his desk and picked up his tablet, selecting the security camera outside his office. To his surprise, he saw one of his own students, Nora Valkyrie if he remembered correctly, banging her fists against the door.

"Coffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffeecoffee! (Translation: Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee! Coffee!)" Nora exclaimed.

At the exact same time, Ozpin began to fearfully back away from the door, holding his mug in a protective way.

"Computer! Initiate Protocol S.M.C. (Pronunciation: Smack) (Save My Coffee)!" Ozpin yelled.

"Password identification necessary to proceed." a robotic A.I. voice said.

"Espresso." Ozpin said.

"Password confirmed. Initiating Protocol S.M.C." the A.I. stated before an iron dome began to cover Ozpin's office.

As soon as the iron dome locked around the building, Ozpin sat down in his chair, maniacally plotting to punish whoever was responsible for attempting to take his coffee. If one were near the office, there would be a maniacal laughter hidden behind the sounds of Nora banging her fists on the door.

-Beacon Academy Hallways-

Yang was now slightly shaking in fear, her soda gun primed and ready to shoot whatever came her way. On her way down the hall, she had found various students that were victims of pranks from The Orange Fox and The Red Monkey. Team CFVY (Coffee) seemed to be untouched by the pranks, mainly because they weren't part of the whole Day of Pranks.

Still, the fact that everyone else around her that was participating in the Day of Pranks had become victims to the pranks of these two mysterious figures.

Soon enough, Yang reached her destination, Team RHFN's dorm room. She hesitantly approached the door, her hand bristling against the doorknob, when she stopped. Yang pushed herself against the nearby wall and used he open hand to open the doorknob.

Her suspicions were proven correct as after she opened the door, a pressurized blast of water shot out. Assuming that was the last of the prank, Yang got out of her hiding place against the wall and casually walked towards the open door.

Only to get covered in what appeared to be orange dye.

"Had enough yet?" Naruto called out from inside the room.

"Is that all you got?" Yang exclaimed before giving a battle cry and charging into the room.

This time, it was at least a metric ton of feathers that covered her.

"Is that all you-?" Yang exclaimed, but was cut off by a blast of honey. "Is that all you-?" she tried again, this time being cut off by a layer of flour. "Is... that... all... you-?" This time, Yang was covered with... shredded cheese? "Is... that... all... you... got?" she said tiredly, falling on to the ground after finishing her statement.

"You've been pranked by the Orange Fox..." Naruto said with a grin on his face, crouching down to Yang's level as he spoke. Prying the soda gun from her hands, Naruto stood back up. "Alright, the rest have been taken care of. The next time we meet, one of us shall fall victim to a prank." he said seemingly to no one, or so it would seem.

"I'd wish you good luck, but I don't want to." Roshi said, appearing from the shadows before disappearing in them once again.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room, Later That Day-

Yang sighed as she strolled back through the door, having washed off _most_ of the contents of Naruto's prank.

"So, how did it go?" Ruby asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"_Fantastic_." Yang said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Before anyone could say anything else, a banging sound was heard at their door. Suddenly the door was flung wide open, a frantic Roshi dashed in.

"What are you doing-?" Weiss exclaimed, but was cut off.

"Can it! I've got to hide! I've got to hide!" Roshi exclaimed frantically. The monkey Faunus jumped slightly when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching the room, followed by a menacing maniacal laugh. Quickly looking around, Roshi thought of his options. Suddenly, an idea hit him. He ran at Ruby and held her in front of him, sort of how one would hold a hostage.

Just in time too, as Naruto appeared through the door wearing mirrored aviator sunglasses, a toothpick in his mouth, and holding the same soda gun Yang had earlier that day. He aimed the gun at Roshi, but hesitated when he saw Ruby being held hostage.

"It's over, Roshi. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Naruto said, his soda gun trained on Roshi.

"Don't take another step closer, or I'll-" Roshi started, but suddenly stopped, feeling a jolt of sorts. Following the jolt was a sort of numbness. He couldn't move his body. Looking down, Roshi was able to see that Ruby had placed a tag seal on his body. Looking back up at the girl he tried to use as a prank hostage, Roshi saw a menacing grin present on Ruby's face.

"I bet you're wondering how I pulled this off. Well..." Naruto said.

_Flashback Start_

_-Beacon Academy Courtyard, Two Days Ago-_

_"I want you to hold on to this seal tag." Naruto said, pulling out the same seal tag that would later paralyze Roshi. Ruby held the seal up in the light to get a better look at it before looking back at her boyfriend, a curious look on her face._

_"What's it do?" Ruby asked._

"The seal is meant to paralyze the body when activated, all it needs is a small pulse of chakra before the seal takes effect..." Naruto explained, a grin on his face as he sauntered over to Roshi while Ruby slid out of his hostage grip.

_-Team RHFN Dorm Room, Later That Day Two Days Ago-_

_"You've got yourself a deal." Naruto said, shaking Roshi's hand while subtly sending a small pulse of his own chakra into a nearly unnoticeable seal that was imprinted onto Roshi's hand._

_Flashback End_

"All that was left to do was wait for the exact moment... for this!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling out a black marker as he began drawing all sorts of crude pictures and words onto the face of Roshi, the most prominent being: "Naruto Uzumaki is the #1 Prank Master!".

"All this... just so you could doodle on his face?" Weiss deadpanned.

"Exactly! Mwahahahahaha!" Naruto yelled out in a maniacal laugh, causing everyone else present in the room to sweatdrop. "And now, for the finishing touch." he said, pulling out his PDA and taking a picture of Roshi. With a click of a button, everyone on Naruto's contacts list was sent the image. After that, Naruto pulled the seal off of Roshi.

"I must say, I'm impressed. But you forgot about one thing..." Roshi said.

"Oh, and what's that?" Naruto asked, the camera getting a shot of him from the left side of his body. Suddenly, the sound of a gun cocking was heard. The camera did a 180o spin using Naruto as the epicenter to reveal Yang standing next to Naruto holding the soda gun that Naruto dropped earlier to draw on Roshi's face.

"Who said I was alone in this?" Roshi asked rhetorically.

"Well played." Naruto said, being careful not to make any sudden movements. "But why? Of all the people, why you, Yang?"

"Sorry Johnny-boy, but this is the game." Yang said. Another gun cocking sound was heard, and the camera did another 180o spin, using Yang as the epicenter this time to reveal Ruby pointing a water pistol at her sister.

"There's orange dye in the gun. Sorry Yang." Ruby said. Yet another gun was loaded, and yet another 180o spin was done using Ruby as the epicenter to reveal Roshi aiming a water gun at Ruby. "Let me guess, red dye?" she asked.

"Yep." Roshi said, popping the last syllable. The sound of a gun cocking was heard as the camera did another 180o spin around Roshi was done to reveal Naruto pointing a water pistol at Roshi.

"Well then, looks like we got ourselves a little Mexican standoff here. Whatever that is." Naruto stated. Sweat dripped down his face in concentration as his eyes darted around to look at the three other participants of this Mexican standoff, the other three doing the same. This lasted for a couple of seconds, before Naruto shot off the contents of his gun, followed by Roshi, then Ruby, and finally Yang. All four dropped down in mock death, Ruby and Naruto locking hands and eyes before they closed.

"Are you guys finished now?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." Naruto said as all four stood up and shook hands, muttering "Good game" as they did so.

"Well, I guess this means that the battle is still on." Roshi stated.  
"I guess so..." Naruto replied, "Until next time."

And with that, the Day of Pranks was over.

-Unknown Location-

Night had fallen across the land as Roman Torchwick stood over a table as his lackeys and various members of the White Fang mulled about moving crate after crate of stolen dust.

"Well, it appears that you've been busy." a mysterious male voice said. Turning around, Roman saw, Cinder and her two sidekicks, his boss, and Pein and Konan. The source of the mysterious voice was his boss, who wore the standard Akatsuki cloak along with _an orange spiral mask with one eye hole_. This was the true leader of the Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha.

"It takes time for the kind of things you're asking of me to happen." Roman stated.

"That's why I've brought along a few people to _speed up_ the _process_." 'Madara' said, motioning to Pein and Konan. "Meet you're new _business_ partners, the Akatsuki."

The screen began to fade to black before suddenly becoming a burst of white as the outro sequence began.

* * *

_**(Play Hologram by NICO Touches the Wall (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Opening 2 Theme))**_

_Masshiro na keshiki ni ima sasowarete_

The background was white as the camera was tilted diagonally as it zoomed in on Naruto, who was wearing his Toad Sage cloak and his Uzushiogakure headband in a Kakashi-like manner over his left eye. A gentle breeze blew in the distance as the sun shone brightly on Naruto, indicating it was a windy morning. The camera moved from the middle of his back to his right hand, which he held up before clenching into a fist.

_Boku wa yuku yo mada minu sekai e_

The camera zoomed past Naruto to an image of Kurama crouching low to the ground, his face appearing in deep thought. The image was transitioned by a burst of white to Naruto in his same outfit standing on top of a windy hill, his right hand held up like before until the camera moved upward.

_Maigo no mama tabi shiteita_

_nezumiiro no sora no shita_

The picture quickly changed to a close up shot of Naruto dangling his necklace he won from his bet with Tsunade in his hands, dark clouds overhead as the left half of the screen, which contained him slid downward. On the right side of the screen was Kurama in the same position as before, only the scenery was inside the seal, a white blurred line separating the two panels as the image on the right slid upward.

_Higawari no chizu ikutsumo no yume ga nijinde ita_

The image zoomed out to reveal the bigger picture of Naruto sitting underneath a tree, the entire thing silhouetted as rays of sunlight broke through the clouds. Near the end of the verse, Naruto began standing up.

_Itsuka wa sa chippoke na boku no kono hohaba demo_

The image suddenly changed to Yang and Blake striking fighting poses. This happened in a matter of seconds before changing into an image of Ren with his back to the camera as the wind blew his hair. The camera zoomed out to reveal he was standing atop a pillar, Jaune, Nora, and Pyrrha jumping onto three of the nearby pillars.

_Ano kumo no muk__ō__ made yukeru kana_

The picture changed to the camera zooming in on a smoky background, passing a smiling Ruby, a surprised Weiss, an eye-smiling Han, Roshi who had a stick of dango hanging out of his mouth, Fu loading tonfa-submachine guns, and a stoic John Ozpin, standing next to John was Glynda Goodwitch.

_Tsuyogatte kizutsuita kokoro sukashita you ni_

The image changed to that of a sunset as the wind blew violently, Naruto kneeling next to a small grave, the engravings on the headstone were facing him so the audience couldn't see what was written on it. The astral form of Haran Uzumaki was seen standing in the same background, staring off into the right side of the screen into the distance. The picture zoomed out to reveal the two images were right next to each other, Haran staring at Naruto who was staring at the tombstone.

_Furdashita amatsubutachi ga ranhansha kurikaesu_

The image shifted into that of Ruby falling into darkness, Naruto attempted to grab Ruby but failed as the darkness consumed her. The picture changed into Roshi sitting in a chair, various pictures of him and other people on the wall. The camera zoomed in on one of the images to reveal a younger Roshi smiling at the camera. To the left of him in the picture was a girl wearing a red uniform with her sleeves missing, over this she wore a brown zipped-up sleeveless jacket. Her face was covered by another picture so who it was in the picture was unidentifiable.  
This suddenly changed to an image of a silhouetted Naruto, his eyes being a bright glowing white as he stood amongst flames. This picture rapidly changed into one of Roman Torchwick, 'Madara' Uchiha, Tendō (Deva Path) Pein, Konan, Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black standing in the night, the full moon illuminating their silhouettes. The image was quickly replaced by an image of the King of Hell rising up before being replaced by an image of a menacing Sasuke with his left eye Sharingan blazing. This was soon replaced by the image of Naruto staring down at his reflection in a lake being rippled by a single drop of water.

_Massugu na hikari ga kousa shite_

The picture was quickly replaced by a battered Sasuke, who was missing his shirt, channeling lightnig chakra into a large-radius explosion. The rubble acted as a transition into an image of Han walking up a wall to meet Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein halfway and engage in a hand-to-hand battle before throwing Shuradō (Asura Path) Pein into the wall, causing a large amount of debris to go flying everywhere.

_Yukusaki mo tsugenu mama dokomademo tsukinukeru_

Roshi was seen launching a large fireball at Gakidō (Preta Path), the latter absorbing the jutsu with a small menacing grin apparent on his face. This image was quickly replaced by the three-headed dog summoning beast Jiraiya fought beforehand charging at Fu, the latter summoning a swarm of insects to attack the beast.

_Awai zanz__ō__ ry__ō__me ni yakitsukete_

Two swords clashed against each other before the image changed to Naruto fighting his old teammates, Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto was wielding Kubikiribōchō in one hand and his tantō in the other.

_Kono sora no shita donna toko ni ite mo_

The image changed to a close up of Sasuke charging to the right, a Chidori (One Thousand Birds) cackling in his left hand. The image changed once again to Naruto charging to the left, a Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere) in his right hand. The picture zoomed out to reveal that Naruto and Sasuke were charging at each other, their attacks colliding and causing collateral damage to the surrounding area.

_Todoku hazu nanda mada minu sekai e_

As the screen turned white, it was soon transitioned into an image of Naruto's necklace close up, the blonde fox grabbing it with one hand and placing it back on his neck. The image zoomed out to reveal Naruto standing back up, Roshi, Han, and Fu standing near him. The surrounding area was the walkways of Beacon Academy early in the morning. Naruto began walking off in the distance, the rest of his team following shortly after as the camera moved upward to get a shot of the morning sun.

* * *

-One Week Later-

The screen changed from the outro to a news broadcast. A woman with pale white complexion, white hair, and amber eyes wearing a black and lavender outfit spoke on, but the words were muted. The caption in the bottom of the screen was: "Civilization Found Beyond The Red Ocean!"

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Battle of the Dancing Animals-

Gamakichi, Gamatatsu, and the rest of the toads (Heck, even Gamaken and Gamabunta were there!) stood across from three other groups of summoning animals, the beetles, the apes, and the horses. Each group glared at the other before Gamakichi pulled out an MP3 Player and a small (compared to his size) radio with a cable port for the MP3 Player. Gamakichi plugged it in and the music began playing.

_**(Play Funkytown by Lipps Inc.)**_

_Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me_

The toads started dancing first, somehow being perfectly choreographed as they did so.

_Town to keep me movin', keep me groovin' with some energy_

Naruto was walking through the Emerald Forest, when suddenly he hears strange music. Heading to the source of the sound, the blond fox Faunus was witness to such a strange event.

_Well, I talk about it, talk about it_

_Talk about it, talk about it_

Naruto pulled out his PDA and began messaging his friends about what was happening. By now, the toads had stopped dancing as it was the horse clan's turn to do so.

_Talk about, talk about_

_Talk about movin'_

One by one, the members of Team RWBY, JNPR, and RHFN arrived, they too, witnessed the rare spectacle that is known as an animal dance battle.

_Gotta move on_

_Gotta move on_

_Gotta move on_

As the song played, Naruto, Fu, Han, Roshi, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren could only stare in silence as the four animal clans danced to the disco music.

"I have the strangest feeling that somehow I'm responsible for this..." Naruto said.

"If that's the case, what have you done?!" Roshi exclaimed.

_A-won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

The horses stopped dancing as the members of the beetle clan began to.

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

By now, Roshi was laughing at the expense of his teammate's summoning clan's actions. Naruto, Fu, and Han covered their faces with their hands slightly

_Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me_

_Town to keep me movin', keep me groovin' with some energy_

Roshi's laughter soon stopped as his own summoning clan, the apes, began to get _funky_.

_Well, I talk about it, talk about it_

_Talk about it, talk about it_  
_Talk about, talk about_

_Talk about movin'_

The other members of Team RHFN laughed at Roshi's expense, much like he had done so not a minute ago. All the while Roshi sat in front of a tree, his hands connected as he rocked back and forth, hitting his head against the trunk of the tree as a mini rain cloud poured above his head.

_Gotta move on_

_Gotta move on_

_Gotta move on_

The apes stopped dancing to allow the horses to take the spotlight once again.

_A-won't you take me to Funkytown?_  
_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

The same process repeated itself as the horses stopped to allow the beetles to dance.

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me to Funkytown?_

The beetles stopped dancing as the toads got their groove on.

_Won't you take me down to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me down to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me down to Funkytown?_

_Won't you take me down to Funkytown?_

"Stop the music!" Naruto yelled, causing all the animals to stop dancing, the music abruptly halted. "What are you doing?"

"He's got a point." Gamakichi stated.  
"Thank you." Naruto said, exasperated.

"Why are we fighting each other. We should be one entire group! Hit it!" Gamakichi exclaimed, causing Team RWBY, JNPR, and RHFN to facefault as the music began where it left off.

_(Won't you take me to) Funkytown?_

_(Won't you take me to) Funkytown?_

_(Won't you take me to) Funkytown?_

_(Won't you take me to) Funkytown?_

All four summoning animal clans began dancing freestyle, causing their respective summoners to collectively slap their hands to their face.

_Take me, won't you take me?_

_Take me, won't you take me?_

_Take me, won't you take me?_

_Take me, won't you take me?_

"You guys sure know some weird creatures..." Yang stated.

"Don't remind me." Naruto said.

_I wanna go to Funkytown_

_I wanna go to Funkytown_

_I wanna go to Funkytown_

_I wanna go to Funkytown_

As the song was finished, all four animal clans struck a final pose.

Let it be known, on that day, the Toad, Beetle, Horse, and Ape summoning clans were no more. And in their place, was the Disco Conglomerate Clan.

By the end of it all, the elder toads, horses, beetles, and apes just stared and shook their heads.

"Tch, kids these days." Pa said.

"I know the feeling." Goku, the elder of the apes, commented.

"They don't know music! True music was back when we were their age!" Ma exclaimed, pulling out a boombox from Malletspace. Pressing the play button, the music began.

_**(Play Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger &amp; The Silver Bullet Band)**_

The elders each slid out in front of their summoners, wearing nothing but tidy-whitey underwear. As the music began, the elder animals began lip singing the song.

_Just take those old records off the shelf_

_I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself_

_Today's music ain't got the same soul_

_I like that old time rock 'n' roll_

_Don't try to take me to a disco_

_You'll never even get me out on the floor_

_In ten minutes I'll be late for the door_

_I like that old time rock 'n' roll_

_**(Pause Song at 0:36 of 3:10)**_

* * *

Short Story Start

Spirits of the Swirl Finale: Spring Break

Two years before going to Beacon Academy, our hero discovered the purpose of the strange mask. About three months had passed since then, and Spring Break had just ended.

"So Naruto, how was your Spring Break?" Ruby asked.

"Well..." Naruto began.

_Flashback Start_

_**(Play Happy Go Lucky Me by Paul Evans)**_

"... I met up with a cousin of mine. We went on a tropical island vacation."

_"So let me get this straight." Naruto stated, giving Honoka a deadpanned stare, "You want me to go to this remote island and kill this 'Ultimate Summoning Beast'?"_

_"Pretty much." Honoka said._

_"... Okay." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders._

"... It was a pleasant trip to the island."

_Massive waves crashed against the ship as Naruto and his clones did their best to navigate through the eternal storm that formed the natural barrier between the Elemental Nations and Remnant._

_"Boss! We just lost another one in the drink!" one of the clones exclaimed._

_"Ease the jibes! We're sailing too close to the wind!" Another clone shouted._

"... After we arrived at the island, we camped out and survived off of our surroundings. Hunting our food."

_"So what am I exactly looking for?" Naruto asked, the astral form of Honoka hovering beside him._

_"You'll know when you see it." Honoka said._

"... I ran into one of the... native predators. It was an eventuality."

_Naruto stood in front of what appeared to be a massive humanoid shaped creature with a mouth on its stomach, wings flapping allowing the creature to hover._

_"Oooohh... I get it now!" Naruto exclaimed in realization to Honoka's earlier statement._

"... We got into a few fights with it, but always came out of it in one piece."

_If one were to see the blonde fox right now, they would find Naruto comically running away from the rapidly approaching form of the Ultimate Summoning Beast._

_"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Naruto yelled as he doubled his speed as the beast came closer._

"... But finally, we were able to defeat the beast once and for all."

_Honoka had somehow physically manifested the famous chakra chains of the Uzumaki clan, effectively pinning the massive beast as two clones of Naruto performed various handsigns._

_"Katon: Kary__ū Endan__ (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)!" the Naruto on the left exclaimed._

_"F__ūton: Daitoppa__ (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!" the original Naruto, the one in the middle, exclaimed._

_"Katon: G__ōkakyū no Jutsu__ (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)!" the Naruto on the right exclaimed._

_The three techniques met halfway, the wind fueling the flames that approached the beast._

"... After the trip, we said our goodbyes."

_"I can't thank you enough, Naruto." Honoka said._

_"Eh? It's no problem, really, dattebayo." Naruto said._

_"I guess this is goodbye..." Honoka said, her astral form gradually being enveloped in a bright light. "I can finally move on to the afterlife, now that my duty is fulfilled. Don't follow after me too sooooonnn!" she finished as the last bits of her form was enveloped in the bright light. Said bright light began to trickle out before disappearing all together._

"... _And_ that's pretty much it."

_Naruto was sitting at the edge of one of the cliffsides, staring off into the distance as the sun began to set behind him. His musings were interrupted by the sound of huffing and puffing. Turning to the source of the sounds, Naruto saw a woman with long wavy blond hair, blue eyes, full lips, and a beauty mark located under the right side of her mouth wearing a partially open black robe, revealing a generous amount of her assets. A long pink scarf was over her shoulders, an armband was around a sash she wore, and she had what appeared to be a sheathed sword on her back._

_"Honoka *huff* Uzumaki! I am *huff* here to bring you to the after-!" the woman began, but stopped halfway through her rant when she noticed that the only other person here was Naruto. "I came too late, didn't I?"_

_"Yes, yes you did, strange lady." Naruto deadpanned._

_"Dammit!"_

_Flashback End_

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAANNNDD DONE! I know this is a long chapter, but I'm going to be inactive for a bit. Schools starting up soon and I need to revise my earlier chapters. If you watch Bleach, then you'll probably be able to figure out who that last person was.**

**And if you look REAAALLLYY close, you'll be able to find the next clue as to what I have planned for Naruto. Seriously, this one should be a bit obvious.**

**As for omake, I just had to get that one in. Don't ask me how I came up with it, I've got a few screws in my head loose.**

**And onto an important announcement if you didn't catch it in the Author's Notes: I'm going to be revising my earlier chapters now that I have some more experience with writing under my belt. So don't expect anything posted besides revisions for a few weeks.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out! ****Take it away, animal clan elders!**

* * *

_**(Resume "Old Time Rock and Roll" Where It Was Left Off)**_

_Still like that old time rock 'n' roll_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time rock 'n' roll_

_Won't go to hear 'em play a tango_

_I'd rather head some blues or funky old soul_

_There's only one sure way to get me to go_

_Start playing old time rock 'n' roll_

_Still like that old time rock 'n' roll_

_That kind of music just soothes the soul_

_I reminisce about the days of old_

_With that old time rock 'n' roll_


	16. Chapter 16- Best Day Ever

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeelllllllllllllllloooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I've decided to quickly post this chapter as I work on revising the earlier chapters of this story. By the time I post this, I'm going to be writing the revised chapters 1-3 of this story. Also, so far I haven't seen anyone mention the little Ren/Nora moment in the last chapter. I promised Ren/Nora and Jaune/Pyrrha in the beginning and I will deliver it!**

* * *

**I've been conflicted on a certain pairing though, so I want you guys to post in the reviews which one you think I should do. Here are the choices:**

**Pairing Option #1**

**or**

**Pairing Option #2**

**Because of what I have planned, I can't tell you who the people I have planned for are. But I'm leaning more towards Pairing Option #1, because all I'll say is: "Opposites Attract". Plus it seems to have a hint of irony to it.**

* * *

**Now to Review Your Reviews that you Reviewed for this story:**

**butterflypuss- The music scenes were just a little experiment I wanted to try. As for you're question, yes. Hidden in the opening and ending music is a foreshadowing of future events to come... Hehehehehehehehe...**

**Karlos1234ify- To be honest, I thought I didn't go very above and beyond with the prank war. I don't have that much theoretical or practical experience when it comes to devising pranks on the levels of prank masters. As for Ozpin, he carries his coffee mug around nearly everywhere, it only makes sense that he would have a plan to make sure his coffee is safe.**

**OBSERVER01- The older rock and roll generation of summoning animals vs. the disco generation of summoning animals WILL be an eventuality. As for the cultural diffusion and discovery of the Elemental Nations, this will drastically affect the storyline.**

**ShepardisaBOSS- I'll take you calling the Disco Conglomerate Clan weird as a compliment. I pride myself on my ability to make up the most weird ideas.**

**yukicrewger2- 'Madara' will still get the Rinnegan eye, and he will still get Jinch****ūrik****i as his canon. But there will be different people used for the paths...**

**ApostleofDarkness- You mean the woman I described at the end of Spirits of the Swirl? That was Rangiku Matsumoto from Bleach. Considering that Naruto could see the dead, why not see the Shinigamis.**

**shadow74236915- The food fight scene from episode 1 of RWBY Volume 2, if I am guessing correctly. Chapter 15 was set in between the end of Volume 1 and the beginning of Volume 2.**

**Guest- Oooohh, now I get it. Though, I haven't seen Kamen Rider, so I wouldn't understand.**

**YukariNanaya22- The anime opening and ending thing was just a little experiment I wanted to try. It didn't work out too well, so I'm not going to do it anymore. Oh well.**

* * *

**Well, the days of the Beacon Tournament are getting closer and closer.**

**I expect great things to come from it, as my own plans come closer and closer to taking effect.**

**Let's just say, that things will become VERY interesting after the Tournament Arc.**

**Like always, my plans for my stories are one step ahead of what I am currently writing.**

**To those who are actually reading these Author's Notes, I've left a message for you to figure out.**

**He will strike soon, very soon.**

**Enemies of his enemies will soon be allies.**

**You can know for sure, that the dark clouds of the Red Dawn are approaching.**

**Be prepared for what is to come.**

**Every warrior will fight.**  
**RHFN will meet their new mentor.**

**Even I'm looking forward to what I have planned.**

**And the only way you'll find out, is if you have a keen eye.**

**Do you think you'll be able to crack the code and figure out the hidden message.**

**Yes, no, maybe. You'll just have to wait and see...**

* * *

**And now, I give you the latest installment of TMH! Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Witchcraft)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Kumogakure, One Week Later-

Four people stood before a large man. This man was a tall dark-skinned individual with a large muscular build, combed back white hair, a small moustache and beard, pronounced cheekbones, tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead. He wore a Kage haori and hat without a shirt underneath, further displaying his hulking physique, gold bangle bracelets on each wrist and a belt with a large buckle. This man was A, the Yondaime Raikage of Kumogakure. He was standing before four of his best Genin.

"As you know, the Elemental Nations has just been introduced to a new civilization..." A spoke.

-Kirigakure-

"-You four will accompany five other representatives, including myself, to this new nation..." an auburn haired woman spoke. This was Mei Terumi, Godaime Mizukage of Kirigakure. Currently, the woman was speaking to four of her own top Genin.

-Sunagakure-

"-And participate in this _Beacon Tournament_..." the Godaime Kazekage, Gaara said. After having the Ichibi extracted from him, he was dead for about an hour. When the two members of Akatsuki were dealt with, Lady Chiyo used a forbidden technique that revived him at the cost of her own life.

-With the Naruto Retrieval Team-

"-So as to strengthen the relations between Konoha and this new nation." Yamato said, having finished reading the scroll that a summoning slug gave him.

"I expect that the other villages will be doing the same, we most likely have an advantage by being in this new land before them." Sai stated.

"Is that why we're still in Vytal?" Tenten asked, the group having learned a bit about the nation they were in during their stay.

"Yes, it appears that this tournament will be done in a similar manner that the Chunin Exams was done, only there are teams of four." Yamato stated.

"Then we need to reshuffle our teams to be of four instead of three, troublesome." Shikamaru said.

"Shikamaru, you're the best tactician we have at the moment, so you'll be the one to form the teams." Yamato said.  
"Hmm, troublesome..." Shikamaru complained.

"Come on, Shikamaru, you're the best one to decide teams of four." Chouji encouraged. Shikamaru began to go into deep thought for a minute before speaking again.

"Alright, here's the new team placements..." Shikamaru stated, the group gathering close to hear the lazy Nara. "... And that's the team placements."

"But we're still two members short." Yamato said.

"I don't think that'll be a problem." A new voice said. Turning around, the group saw two familiar faces, causing them to narrow their eyes.

"What are you two doing here?" Neji asked.

-Streets of Vale-

Currently, the elderly shopkeeper of _From Dust Till Dawn_, Edward Elric, was seen hanging a sign declaring the official reopening of his shop. As he climbed down from his ladder, Edward stumbled and fell.

"'Scuse me, sorry. I'm not really from around here." A female voice said. Appearing next to the elderly man was a thin female with dark skin, dark-red eyes, light mint green hair cut with a straight fringe and bangs as well as two long locks on each side. She wore two bronze-colored rings on her middle fingers as well as high-heeled shoes. She also wore a gold three-ring armband on her left arm and a sting of gold beads near the same wrist, white pants, brown chaps that ended at her calves, and an overlong belt, twice-wrapped. This was Emerald Sustrai. "Would you mind pointing me in the direction of this shop?"

"Hmm? Mm-hmm." Edward mumbled, pointing in the direction of the shop he was asked about. Emerald walked away from Edward as both waved goodbye and passed a tall well-built man with silver-gray eyes, silver-gray hair, and pale skin wearing a gray and black two-tone partial-zip jacket that covered his upper body. This here was Mercury Black.

"I knew you were lost." Mercury said.

"Mercury, I will seriously pay you to shut up." Emerald stated, producing a wallet with Lien and waving it in Mercury's face.

"That's not your money." Mercury pointed out.

"But it can be _yours_ for five minutes of silence." Emerald said.

"Mmmmm... no deal." Mercury declined.

"_Fine_." Emerald said tossing the walled and walking away.

"_Whatever_. You want me." Mercury said. "So, how much farther?" he asked after the duo traversed the city.

"A few blocks." Emerald replied.

"Ugh... this place is so dull." Mercury complained.

"Eh, I kinda like it. Tall buildings, diverse culture-" Emerald stated.

"And nice dopey people who are easy to pickpocket." Mercury added, causing Emerald to stop momentarily.

"That's every city." Emerald said.

"Ooh, Emerald! Master thief! Please don't take my money! I barely have enough to get by!" Mercury said, play acting as a victim. Emerald just glared at him before groaning angrily and walking away. "Ugh... you're no fun today."

Mercury followed behind Emerald into the shop they were looking for. As they entered the shop, the store owner could be heard humming a tune. Mercury stopped near the doors to look at books while Emerald approached the counter and rang the service bell.

"Be right there!" the shop owner called out from behind the counter. Entering through a set of double doors behind the desk was a tall man with cleanly cut black hair, noticeable sideburns, and brown eyes wearing a short sleeved beige shirt with black accents with a zipper on it, pulled down to a point below his collarbone. This man was Tukson Pyūma. "Welcome to "Tukson's Book Trade," home to every book under the sun!" he said, setting the stack of books down. "How may I..." he started, but paused when he saw who it was, gasping slightly as he recognized the duo. "How may I help you?"

"Just browsing." Mercury said, holding a book in his hand.

"Actually, I was wondering, do you have any copies of "The Thief and The Butcher"?" Emerald asked.  
"Yes we do." Tukson replied.

"That's great." Emerald said excitedly.

"Would you... like a copy?" Tukson asked.

"No, just wondering." Emerald said, Mercury closing another book. "Oh, oh! What about "Violet's Garden"? In paperback?"

"He's got it. Hardback too." Mercury stated.

"What about "Icha Icha" series? First Edition?" Emerald asked.

"First and second." Tukson replied.

"I'll take two copies of "Icha Icha Paradise", first edition." Emerald said.

"Will that be all?" Tukson asked, pulling out two copies of the popular novel.

"Oh, no, wait!" Emerald exclaimed, "What... about... "Third Crusade"?"

"Um... I..." Tukson hesitated, Mercury and Emerald eyeing him carefully, "... don't believe we carry that one."

"Oh." Mercury said, slaming another book shut.

"What was this place called again?" Emerald asked.

"Tukson's Book Trade." Tukson replied.

"And you're Tukson?" Emerald questioned.

"That's right." Tukson answered.

"So then I take it that you're the one that came up with the catchphrase?" Emerald asked.

"Yes." Tukson said.

"And what was it again?" Mercury asked.

""Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun."" Tukson quoted.

"_Except_ the "Third Crusade"." Mercury pointed out.

"It's just a catchphrase." Tukson countered.

"It's false advertising!" Mercury exclaimed.

"You shouldn't make a promise you can't keep, Tukson." Emerald said, Mercury activated a switch near the entrance which caused one of the front windows to darken, "I hear that you're planning on leaving. Moving all the way to Vacuo." Mercury activated another switch, another window in the front darkened, "Your brothers in the White Fang won't be happy to hear that." she stated, Mercury activated a third switch, causing the last of the windows in the front to darken. "And neither are we... You know who we are, don't you?"

"Yes." Tukson replied.

"And you know why we're here?"

"Yes."  
"So... are you going to fight back?"

"Yes!" Tukson yelled, producing claws from his fingers, "Yaargh!" he leapt atop his counter in a threatening manner. Mercury and Emerald backed up slightly as Tukson lunged at Emerald and slashed at her, but she dodged. Tukson looked forward and was surprised at Mercury as he raised on leg for a kick with his shotgun-greaves.

A minute later, Mercury and Emerald exited "_Tukson's Book Trade_". Emerald stretched her arms overhead and Mercury was carrying a comic.

"What's with that?" Emerald asked, noticing the comic in her partner's hands.

"I like the pictures." Mercury replied, "It's better than that smut you read."

"Hey, "Icha Icha" is a work of art." Emerald said, holding the two copies of "Icha Icha Paradise" close.

-Beacon Academy Cafeteria-

Blake stared down at her notebook, a series of sketches of people in the book.

"Whatcha doing?" Yang asked, sliding up next to her partner.

"Nothing." Blake said, closing her book, "Just going over notes from last semester."

"Lame." Yang said, catching a grape in her mouth. At another table, Nora giggled as she continued to toss grapes at Yang with her spoon, the latter catching the fruit with ease and giving her a thumbs up. While this was going on, Weiss was staring at her PDA, a news broadcast on the screen.

"-In other news, one week has passed since the discovery of the Elemental Nations. And to ease tension between the nations, each of the major villages will be sending a group of their best Hunters and Huntresses-in-training to participate in the Beacon Tournament." the news anchor, Lisa Lavender, spoke, an image of the first encounter with the Elemental Nations in the top right part of the screen. "These participants will be arriving via Bullheads in the next twenty-four hours. So be sure to look out for them."

"Can you believe this? People that are like Team RHFN coming to participate in the tournament." Weiss stated, "I have to spy... er- I mean greet them!" Before she could go off to go on her little espionage escapade, Ruby slammed a rather large binder labeled "Best Day Ever Activities" onto the table, catching everyone off guard.

"Sisters... friends... Weiss." Ruby said after clearing her throat, gesturing to everyone at the table as she spoke.  
"Hey!" Weiss complained.

"Four score and seven minutes ago, I had a dream." Ruby started.

"This ought to be good." Yang said, catching another berry in her mouth.

"A dream that one day, the four of us will come together, as a _team_, and have the most fun anyone has ever had... _ever_!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Did you steal my binder?" Weiss questioned.

"I am not a crook." Ruby said, making a peace sign with both hands.

"What are you talking about?" Blake asked.

"I'm talking about kicking off the semester with a bang!" Ruby said, pointing her finger at Blake.

"I always kick my semesters off with a _Yang_! Eh? Guys? Am I right?" Yang joked. An apple was tossed at Yang, hitting her in the face. She glared at the culprit who threw the apple.  
"Boooooooooooooo!" Nora yelled.

"Look guys, it's been a good two weeks and between more exchange students arriving and the tournament at the end of the year, our second semester is going to be great! But, classes start back up tomorrow! Which is why I've taken the time to schedule a series of wonderful events for us today." Ruby stated.

"I don't know whether to be proud or scared of what you have in store." Weiss stated. Yang, still glaring at the apple thrower, picked up an apple and tossed it across the room.

"Hey!" was the reply of the student who originally threw the apple as Yang returned to sender. Nora giggled.

"I don't know. I think I might sit this one out." Blake said.

"Sit out or not, I think that however we spend this last day, we should do it as a team!" Weiss said.

"_I_ got it!" Nora exclaimed positively.

"I for one think that-" Weiss started but was interrupted by a pie to the face courtesy of Nora.

-With Team RHFN-

Naruto and Roshi suddenly jolted up, surprising Han and Fu.

"What's wrong?" Fu asked.

"I sense a disturbance in the force..." Roshi muttered.

"-We must get to the cafeteria!" Naruto exclaimed as he began running to that location.

"Wait for me!" Roshi yelled, running after Naruto.

"... _Okay_..." Fu said as she went after her two teammates, Han soon following after.

-Outside Beacon Academy Cafeteria-

Outside the cafeteria, Sun Wukong was walking and chatting with a teenage boy with tan skin, dark blue eyes and messy light blue hair that was shaved on the sides and in the back wearing a white dress shirt and black tie under a red jacket with a wide, upturned, black collar and a pair of gray jeans with black padding strapped to the sides. This was Neptune Vasilias, teammate of Sun.

"Man, that's harsh." Neptune said.

"I know, we were fighting side by side. She was super fast and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome." Sun said.  
"_Nice_!" Neptune said.

"Right? And the best part is, she's a Faunus. But that's a secret, okay?" Sun explained.

"Got it." Neptune said.

"And not a, "I'm gonna tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back secret," I'm talking _secret_ secret." Sun said.

"Whoa. chill out, man, okay? I got it." Neptune said before whispering, "_I got it_!"

"You better." Sun said, the two were so wrapped up in their conversation that they did not notice the windows of the cafeteria next to them become splattered with food, students running around. At one point, Jaune was splattered on to the window. "I just don't want to screw this up, you know? The people here are the _coolest_! No offense to you guys."

"None taken." Neptune replied.

"They're just in here. I'm _really_ excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay? You're gonna be cool, right?" Sun asked.

"Dude." Neptune said.

"Good point." Sun said. Before the two could go any further, the duo was pushed aside by two familiar faces.

"Sorry! In a hurry!" Naruto exclaimed as he entered the cafeteria, followed by Roshi, then Fu, and finally Han.

"Who are those guys?" Neptune asked.

"Oh! Those are the guys I was telling you about, Team RHFN." Sun said.

"Well, what's got them in such a hurry?" Neptune asked.

"Let's find out." Sun said, opening the doors to the cafeteria... and immediately getting hit by a flying pizza slice.

"_Food fight_!" A random student yelled. Many students began running out the door past Sun and Neptune, the latter of whom was looking quite worried.

"Ahahahaha!" Nora laughed. Team JNPR was shown to be standing atop a tower of tables stacked in a ramshackle manner. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" she exclaimed in a sing-song tone. On the other side of the room, Ruby stomped her foot on the table and pointed at Team JNPR.

"Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful!" Ruby exclaimed, crushing a carton of milk in her hand. "It will be _delicious_!"

"Yeah!" was the collective cry of the members of Team RWBY.

"We shall defeat thee in the name of the log!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands up in a praise like manner

"Praise the log!" the other members of Team RHFN yelled.

"Off with their heads!" Nora yelled, jumping down from the top of her tower. Ren flipped and stomped up a trio of melons which he kicked. Jaune dived onto a melon and rolled before heaving it through the air. Pyrrha lobbed two more melons through the air. Nora heaved an entire table full of melons and launched it at Team RWBY and Team RHFN.

"Truce?" Ruby asked, getting a nod from Naruto.  
"Truce." Naruto replied, dashing forward, grabbing a pair of soda cans with each hand along the way. "Suiton: Hahonryū (Water Release: Tearing Torrent)!" he exclaimed, the soda cans in his hands bursting as its contents fired off at the incoming melons, causing them to burst. Still, a few melons survived the strike and sailed forward.

"Yang! Turkey!" Ruby yelled. Yang rolled over to the turkeys and stuck her fists inside them, proceeding to block and punch the remaining melons as they sped towards her. Blake and Pyrrha picked up a pair of baguettes and began sparring with them, the latter jumping back the last second to dodge Roshi, who had a pair of churros in his hands. As Pyrrha evaded the churros, she speared three baguettes at Yang. Ruby blocks another thwogn baguette using a food tray she was riding like a skateboard, Han sprinting beside her halfway with an 7' sub sandwich in his hands. Ruby landed on Pyrrha, knocking her over as seconds later she was sent flying by Han using his sub as a baseball bat. Ren slipped on Weiss's ketchup trap as he charged at Ruby and Han. Nora began swinging a makeshift hammer made up of a melon impaled on a pole. She knocked Ruby and Han down while aiming for Weiss. Weiss retrieved a swordfish to fight Nora but was hammered through several tables and into a pillar near one end of the cafeteria. The impact knocked her out and Ruby held her in her arms as the pillar collapsed around them.

"Weiss, Weiss! Don't leave me! Nooo!" Ruby exclaimed. Naruto and his team was seen suddenly being sent flying back by Nora's hammer.

"For the log!" Naruto yelled out, brushing off the debris on him and giving off a war cry before charging back into battle.

"For the log!" the rest of Team RHFN yelled, following shortly after their leader with war cries of their own. Ren rushed forward and was met halfway by Roshi and Yang. Ren and Roshi engaged him in a battle between leek stalks and churros. This little skirmish was cut short by Yang, who had equipped herself with more turkeys, uppercutting Ren into the air and he hurls his "weapons" down at her. While Roshi swiped the leek stalks away, Yang leapt high into the air and punched Ren, slamming him into the ground. Nora hammered Yang through the ceiling, destroying the melon in the process. Blake dodged the ceiling debris by rolling to her feet. Grabbing a link of sausages, she whipped Nora back against a soda machine. Using the soda cans as ammunition, Nora threw them them back at Blake and they exploded like grenades, spraying soda everywhere. Pyrrha used her Polarity Semblance to levitate the soda cans and launch them in one huge maelstrom at Team RWBY and RHFN. The attack was able to knock Blake down before Naruto and Fu leapt up, doing the same handsigns.

"Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!" Naruto/Fu called out, releasing a large gust of wind from their mouths, pushing the incoming torrent of soda back at Team JNPR, effectively catching Jaune and Ren. As soon as the soda maelstrom was pushed back, Ruby got fired up and used her Speed Semblance to rush Team JNPR, catching the soda cans that had yet to reach their intended targets like a vacuum and drawing them back to Team JNPR. She torpedoes into the group, the food and soda and Team JNPR following behind her. She leapt into the air just before the everything impacted against the wall. She then landed calmly before a cracked wall painted with soda and food. Team JNPR slid off the wall, leaving only their outlines. Ruby looked back at Team RHFN to see they were each holding up a sign with a number. Roshi was holding up "8.5", Han was holding up "9.0", Fu held up "8.0", and Naruto held up "9.5".

"I love these guys." Sun said. Turning to his partner, he saw Neptune drenched with soda with a not-too-pleased expression on his face. The doors behind them opened and Glynda entered the room growling. She proceeded to use telekinesis to re-organize the room.

"Children, please. Do not play with your food!" Glynda stated, adjusting her glasses slightly. Nora burped aloud as both Team JNPR, RWBY, and RHFN tried and failed to compose themselves. A screaming Yang then crashed from the ceiling into one of the tables. Glynda grumbled before Ozpin approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let it go." Ozpin said.

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." Glynda sighed.

"-And they will be, but right now they're still children." Ozpin stated. Team RWBY and RHFN began laughing together. "So why not let them play the part?" he asked, walking away from Glynda. "After all, it isn't a role they'll get to have forever."

-Old Abandoned Warehouse-

In an unknown warehouse, the White Fang was moving crates as Emerald and Mercury entered.

"Oh, look! She sent the kids again! This is turning out just like the divorce!" Roman said, approaching the two from behind and wrapping his arms around them in a group hug.

"Spare us the thought of you procreating." Emerald said as she shivered in disgust. Emerald and Mercury pulled away from Roman.  
"_That_ was a joke. And _this_... _**just**_ might tell me where you two have been all day." Roman said, producing a piece of paper.

"What!? Agh..." Emerald cried out.

"I'm a professional, sweetheart. Pay attention, maybe you'll learn something." Roman said, holding up the piece of paper. "Why do you have this address?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald said.

"Yeah, I would. Now where have you been all day?" Roman asked.

"Cleaning up your problems. _One_ of them, at least." Mercury replied.

"_I had that under control_." Roman said.

"Two packed bags and a ticket out of Vale said otherwise." Mercury commented.

"Listen, you little punk. If it were up to me, the I would take you and your little street rat friend here and-" Roman started.

"Do _what_, Roman?" a new female voice asked. Up on a nearby platform was a woman with black hair, glowing yellow-orange eyes, and fingernails painted dark red. She wore a dark-red, off-the-shoulders, v-neck minidress with yellow designs. A blue feather-like accessory was on her right hip at the top of an open portion of her dress. The dress ended in an upside-down triangular tail in the back, ending just above her knees. There was a baseball diamond-shaped keyhole on the back, above her waist, and at the same height as her chest. The sleeves ended in a triangular shape tied around her middle finger, with the gold designs of the sleeve taking over at the wrists. She also wore black shorts underneath her dress and a black choker on her neck. She had dark, glass high-heeled shoes and a jeweled anklet on her right leg. She had a black tattoo on her upper back - in the keyhole, of what appears to be a pair of high heel shoes placed sole to sole. She was on the platform above them, stepping onto an automated lift, riding it down to their level.

"I'd, uh... _not_ kill them?" Roman said hesitantly, laughing nervously.

"Cinder!" Emerald exclaimed excitedly.

"I thought I made it clear that you would eliminate the would-be runaway." another voice said. Turning to their left, the four criminals saw an all-so familiar figure. The figure wore a black cloak with dark-red clouds with the hood up, underneath which he wore black pants and a black long-sleeved shirt, and an orange spiral mask with a single eye-hole on his face.

"I was _going_ to-" Roman stated.

"_He_ was going to escape to Vacuo! Mercury and _I_ decided to take it upon ourselves to kill the rat." Emerald said.

"I think he was some sort of cat, actually." Mercury stated.

"What? Like a puma?" Emerald asked.

"Yeah, there ya go." Mercury agreed.

"Quiet. Did I not _specifically_ instruct you two to keep your hands clean while in Vale?" Cinder questioned. As Cinder spoke, Roman pointed a finger at the pair whilst silently laughing in agreement.

"I just thought..." Emerald said. Roman used his fingers to mime having a slit throat.

"Don't think... obey." Cinder stated.

"Yes ma'am. It won't happen again." Emerald said apologetically. "Oh! And by the way, we got a copy of the book you were looking for-" she started, pulling out one of the copies of "Icha Icha Paradise" she obtained. Before she could even finish the sentence, the book was snatched from her hands by Cinder, who began coddling the book.

"Yes! Precious..." Cinder mumbled, causing all the members of the group, save for 'Madara', to sweatdrop. "And _you_. Why wasn't this job done sooner?" she asked Roman, having gotten over her excitement.

"Uh...?" Roman spoke, pointing to his right, "Eh...?" he pointed to his left, "Eh...?" he pointed behind him, "EHHHHH! _Sorry_ if I've been busy stealing _every_ speck of Dust in the Kingdom!"

"You're an _inspiration_ to every punk with a gun and a ski mask." Mercury said sarcastically, causing Emerald to laugh at the remark.

"Look around, kid. I've got this town running scared! Police camping out at every corner, Dust prices through the roof, _and_ we're sitting pretty on an old arehouse with more Dust crystals, vials, and _rounds_ than we know what to do with! Speaking of which, _if_ you guys wouldn't mind filling me _in_ on your grand master plan, it _might_ make my next string of robberies go a little _smoother_!" Roman exclaimed, emphasizing the last word by clenching his fists.

"Oh, Roman. Have a little faith." Cinder said, approaching Roman and placing her hand on his face. "You'll know what you need when you need to know it." she said. Roman seemed entranced, but then looked away with a grunt. "Besides, we're done with Dust." she added before walking away.

"_O_-_okay_, then what now?" Roman asked.

"We're moving. Have the White Fang clear out this building. You'll receive the details and coordinates tonight." 'Madara' stated.

"Coordinates?" Roman asked.

"We're proceeding to phase two." 'Madara' stated as he began walking away, Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald following shortly after. Roman pulled out a cigar and attempted to light it, but found that his lighter was missing. Looking at Emerald, she stuck her tongue out defiantly after he realized she stole his lighter.

-Beacon Academy-

Outside of Beacon Academy, a familiar group approached the entrance. Once the group got close enough, the security guards began to notice.

"Halt! State your name and your business." One of the campus security guards commanded.

"My name is Shikamaru Nara and these are my comrades, we come from Konohagakure in the Elemental Nations. We're here to participate in the Beacon Tournament." Shikamaru said.

"Let me see your identification and... Alright, you check out. They're clear to enter!" the security guard said. The moment the words left his mouth, the gate to Beacon opened up and the group entered the academy campus.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, What The Retrieval Team Was Doing In Between The Chapters (** Inspired By Karlos1234ify **)-

It has been nearly a day since Team RWBY and RHFN had their little skirmish with Roman Torchwick and the White Fang. But right now, it's not about them. Right now, if one were to look at the streets of Vale, they would find a certain festival going on. People of different age, species, and gender were walking on and off the streets as the entire street was blocked off for the festivities. A sign was draped high in the air that read: "**Welcome to Otakon!**".

The Naruto Retrieval Team walked around a bit before spotting a familiar orange loving blonde.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru exclaimed as the group approached the blonde. Putting a hand on his shoulder, the group was shocked to find that this was not the blonde they were looking for.

"Thanks for recognizing my outfit. And I have to say, you're 'stumes look awesome!" the man said before walking away. The group then decided to take a better look at their surroundings, only to find Naruto. And Naruto, and Naruto, and Naruto, and surprisingly, Kakashi and Tsunade, along with other various people dressed up as people they couldn't recognize.

"Dude, check out the people in those 'stumes." another person said.  
"They look _totally_ realistic." A different person said.

"_I don't know_, they look pretty fake to me." A female said.

"Tch, _tryhards_." A male voice said.

"Oh my kami, we've stumbled upon a _roleplaying_ convention." Sai said.

"Like cosplay?" Ino asked.  
"No, roleplaying fetishes." Sai said, "And the worst part is, I your schoolgirl outfits at home."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ino asked angrily, Sai just shrugged his shoulders.  
"That you're into roleplaying?" Sai questioned, casuing him to smacked upside the head by Ino. "So you're not into roleplay? Perhaps S&amp;M?" queue another smack courtesy of Ino, "Bondage?" *Smack* "You play for the other team?" *Harder smack* "Both teams?" This time, instead of a smack, it was a comical beating.

While this was going on, Team RWBY and RHFN just stared at the group.

"Do you think that they're-?" Naruto asked.

"Nah, they're probably just some pretty hardcore cosplay people." Roshi said dismissively.

"Is that what this thing is called?" Ruby asked, "People have been telling me and the others that our ''stumes' looked awesome, and I had no clue what they were talking about."

"Probably." Yang replied.

"-For the last time! I have no clue what you're talking about! I'm not Obito, I'm 'Madara'!" 'Madara exclaimed.

"_Riiiggghhhtt_. You're definitely cosplaying as Obito." a random cosplayer said.

"You will tell me where the Jinchūriki are and I _might_ consider sparing your life-!" 'Madara' yelled.

"Oh, such a stunning outfit, but I looks fake." another cosplayer commented, grabbing a part of 'Madara's' cloack, "Like, what is this? Cotton?"

"... Maybe..." 'Madara' admitted.

"You must be sweating like a pig in that." the same person said.

"Actually-"

"And what about this mask?" the person questioned, grabbing the mask and pulling it off. 'Madara' could do nothing without being comprimised. "Is it made of plastic? Porcelain?"

"AAAAAHHH! ~Oh no! Misa been exposed!" the person behind the mask exclaimed. Behind the mask was not Madara Uchiha, Obito Uchiha, Future Sasuke Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha, or even Chuck Norris or the Ramen Guy. No, behind the mask, was Jar Jar Binks. "How wude! Time for plan B!" Jar Jar said, pulling out an MA37-Assault Rifle (The Assault Rifle from Halo). "Everybody die! Everybody die! Ahahahaha!" he exclaimed, firing off the gun into the air. He was about to start firing at the crowd, but got shot with a tazer gun courtesy of a nearby security guard.

"Why would a convention security guard need a tazer?" Blake asked.

"You'd be surprised at how rowdy some of the fans get." one of the nearby security guards replied.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you got your average fans..." the same security guard said.

"The super fans..." another security guard added.

"The psycho fans..." a third security guard added.

"And the super psycho fans..." the first security guard said. Before the conversation could continue, the group was interrupted by a fan-like scream. Turning to their right, the group saw a mob of fans surrounding two people, said two having a dozen security guards pushing away the fans each.

"Who are those two?" Ruby asked.

"Oh! That's Masashi Kishimoto on the left, he's the manga artist who created the series "Naruto". And on the right is Monty Oum, he's the Director of Animation for Rooster Teeth, he's part of the team that makes the anime series "RWBY"." the first security guard said. Team RWBY and RHFN stood silent for a moment.

"Where have I heard that name before..." Naruto mumbled.

"That last one sounds _very_ familiar..." Yang mumbled.

"Isn't that first one your name, Naruto? And "RWBY", isn't that our team name?" Weiss questioned.

"..." the group stood silent once again.

"HQ... We got a turd in the punch bowl..." the second security guard mumbled into his walkie-talkie. "I repeat, we got a turd in the punch bowl..."

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAANNNNNDDDDD DONE! I know I promised I would revise my earlier chapter, ****and I still plan on doing so****, but I just had to get this in. Again, Karlos1234ify, thanks for giving me the omake idea, I hope it lived up to your expectations for it.**

**My plans for Naruto are becoming closer and closer to becoming part of the story... Mwahahahaha...**

**The only thing that worries me about my plan is if Naruto will become too OP. But that is only a small worrisome thought, as his powers won't kick in or function at their best until later on.**

**This has been the latest installment of TMH. It's been a good summer vacation, but schools coming up soon. Shockingly, I'm one of the few students who is partially looking forward to going back to school. I've got a serious case of cabin fever and boredom.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	17. Chapter 17- A Plan Comes Together

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllloooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Bringing you the latest installment of TMH! Also, on a side note: this chapter will most likely bring the story to 100k+ words. So...**

**WOOOOOOOHHH! FIRST 100K STORY I MADE! WOOOOOOOHH!**

**I'll admit, I was hoping to be the first one to make a 100k+ word story for Naruto/RWBY, but that title belongs to Sapphire Orchid's ****The Dragon's Gem****. Also, on another side note: If you haven't checked out Sapphire Orchid's ****The Dragon's Gem****, be sure to read it. It's a pretty well done story, in my opinion.**

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**And now onto reviewing your reviews:**

**ApostleofDarkness- Jar Jar Binks is male... I think. I'm not actually sure.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- Well of course that was the best food fight ever. I doubt there will be any other food fights after it that reach the same level of epicness.**

**ShepardisaBOSS- Good to know that I can still out weird myself.**

**enjox27- Oh hell yes! Fu vs. Emerald is going to be an eventuality.**

**YukariNanaya22- Thanks for the compliment. And when you do publish your story, be sure to send me a link to it as I would love to read a fellow writer's work. That goes for everyone else reading this. I'll admit, I myself am a fan of many fanfics, all of them including Naruto. Some of my own inspiration comes from reading other works of fanfiction or even the reviews you guys write.**

**deathstalker982- Originally, I wa planning on making Emerald and Fu the same person, but scrapped the idea. This was because I came up with an even better idea. Your claim as to how they're related is nearly spot on, but is missing a vital link.**

**MEleeSmasher- I haven't made anything to make Naruto OP YET. But with what I have planned, he will near the boundary of being OP.**

**Karlos1234ify- The Naruto Retrieval Team didn't encounter Itachi and Kisame. But you're close to guessing correctly.**

**OBSERVER01- I thought about including the rappers when I first came up with the Disco Conglomerate Clan and the Rock 'N' Roll Retired Rebels. I may make a group split off into a different genre of music, but I'm not sure.**

**loganhunter2- The revision of chapter 1-6 is already underway, for the millionth time having said this.**

**shadow74236915- The chance to praise the log presented itself to me, and I took it. THOU SHALT PRAISE THE LOG AND ALL THAT IS HOLY!**

**Alastar Dunkirk- Shockingly, I wasn't at Otakon. I wanted to go, but I had responsibilities to attend to if I wanted my first half of my comprehensive diploma community service hours filled up. Maybe I'll be there next year. Hopefully I'll be there next year.**

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**Praising the log and reviewing the reviews aside, I truly believe myself to be a man who plots ahead like Aizen from Bleach would: Always five steps ahead of those who are being plotted against. That being said:**

**I now present you chapter 17 of TMH!**

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**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(From Shadows)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-Ozpin's Office, Beacon Academy-

As John Ozpin stood in his office, staring out his window down at his academy below, a large and unnerving ship flew by overhead, descending upon a landing pad. Two more Bullheads flew by and hovered above the ant-like swarms of people who mingled about their daily activities.

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." Glynda stated.

"Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man." Ozpin said as three more Bullheads flew by, "But yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." A chirping beep sound repeated. Ozpin turned to see a hollow-message "Access Requested" appear on his desk. "Come in." Ozpin said. As soon as the words left his mouth the doors slid open to reveal a man with black hair with some areas being silver or gray in coloration, while his eyebrows were black in color, and what appeared to be a strip of silver metal above his right eyebrow. He wore a white overcoat, with a gray undercoat, alongside a red tie, and a white glove on his right hand. This man was James Ironwood, headmaster of Atlas Academy and General of Atlas' military.

"Ozpin!" Ironwood exclaimed cordially.

"Hello, General." Ozpin said, standing at attention.

"Please, drop the formalities." Ironwood said as they shook hands, Glynda approached as well, "It's been too long. And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we last met."

"Oh, James!" Glynda said, giving a personable wave and then dropped all pleasantries, "I'll be outside." she said, walking away.

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit." Ironwood stated.

"So, what in the world has brought you all the way down from Atlas?" Ozpin asked, turning to his desk and picking up a mug and a kettle, pouring as he spoke. "Headmasters don't typically travel with their students, for the Vytal Festival." he said, turning and offering the cup to Ironwood, the latter accepting the mug.

"Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year." Ironwood said, pulling a canteen from his inside coat pocket and pouring its contents into his mug. "Besides, with you hosting, I thought that this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up." he said as Ozpin walked around to his desk, kettle and a new mug in hand.

"I can certainly appreciate the quality time between friends, however, a small fleet outside my window has me concerned." Ozpin said as he sat down and poured himself some coffee.

"Well, concerned is what brought them here." Ironwood said.

"I understand that travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult." Ozpin stated, "And also with the discovery of the new kingdoms, one can never be too cautious."

"Oz, you and I both know why I brought those men." Ironwood stated. Ozpin took a drink and placed his mug down on his desk.

"We are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression." Ozpin said. Ironwood placed his mug down as well.

"But if what Qrow said is true..." Ironwood said.

"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully." Ozpin said, holding up an index finger to emphasize, "It's the Vytal Festival. A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest that you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm just being cautious." Ironwood countered.

"As am I. Which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can." Ozpin said.

"Believe me, I am." Ironwood said as he turned and walked away. Halfway to the door, he stopped and looked back at Ozpin. "But ask yourself this: Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"

"I hope they never have to." Ozpin murmured.

-Beacon Academy Library-

In the Beacon Academy library, Team RWBY was sitting at a table and playing Wrisk: Remnant Edition. Weiss, Yang, and Blake waited for their team leader to make her move, Blake appeared to be distracted.

"Hmmmmm... All right!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing at Yang, "Yang Xiao Long, prepare your kingdom for battle!"

"Bring it on!" Yang exclaimed, thrusting her elbow down as she balled her fist.

"I deploy the Elisian Air Fleet!" Ruby yelled, slapping her card down on the table. Yang feigned a look of shock. "Looks like I get to fly right over your Ursi and attack your walls directly!" she exclaimed, making noises like airplanes flying and bombing as she made a bird with her hands.

"You fiend!" Yang exclaimed, feigning indignance as she pointed at Ruby.

"And since Atlas is part of Mantle, my repair time is only one turn." Ruby said, ducking her head at one end of the table as she spoke, peaking her head up after finishing her statement. Yang laughed arrogantly, surprising Ruby.

"Pretty sneaky, sis, but you just activated my trap card!" Yang exclaimed, raising a card, causing Ruby to be visually disturbed. "Giant Nevermore!" she exclaimed, slamming the card in her hand down on the table, "If I roll a seven or higher, fatal feathers will slice your fleet in two!"

On the table, a little Nevermore was scene flying over a field of swords impaled in the ground as Yang spoke.

"_But_, if you roll a six or lower, the Nevermore will turn on your own forces!" Ruby stated, pointing at Yang. Back on the table, the Nevermore could be seen turning back toward Yang.

"That's just a chance I'm willing to take." Yang said, the two glaring at each other.

Meanwhile, with Team JNPR, Ren and Pyrrha were studying, Jaune was reading a comic book, and Nora was drooling and talking in her sleep. Team RHFN was nearby as well, Fu was studying, Han was fast asleep, Naruto was making a new storage scroll, and Roshi was not-so-discreetly drawing on Han's face with a black marker. Yang was suddenly heard shouting triumphantly.

"Nooooo! My fearless soldiers!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Eh, most of them were androids." Yang stated.

"Goodbye my friends, you will be avenged." Ruby said.

"Not until I draw my rewards! Which are _double_ this round thanks to the Mistral Trade Route!" Yang said, causing Ruby to gag in frustration. "Oh, and what's this? The Smugglers of Windheld?" Yang added. Ruby gagged twice more. "I say, it looks like I'm taking two cards in my hand!"

A Nevermore player piece was tossed over Jaune's shoulder as Pyrrha confiscated his comic book in exchange for a textbook. Pyrrha began reading the comic book as another piece bounced off of Jaune's head.

"Have you no heart?" Ruby cried out, collapsing on the table comically crying, "Nooo!"

"Well, Weiss, it's your turn." Yang said.

"I have... absolutely no idea what's going on." Weiss said, Yang slid up beside Weiss and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Look, it's easy! You're playing as Vacuo which means that all Vacuo-based cards come with a bonus." Yang stated.

"That sounds dumb." Weiss said as Yang began looking through Weiss's cards.

"See, you've got Sandstorm, Desert Scavenge... Oh, oh!" Yang exclaimed, pulling up a card to show Weiss, "Resourceful Raider! See, now you can take Ruby's discard Air Fleet and put it in _your_ hand!"

"_Okay_." Weiss said.

"And since Vacuo warriors have endurance against natural based hazards, you can use Sandstorm to disable _my_ ground forces and simultaneously infiltrate my kingdom!" Yang said, pointing a finger at Weiss. "Just know that I will not forget this declaration of war." she added, pulling away and returning to her seat.

"And that means..." Weiss unsurely said.

"You're just three moves away from conquering Remnant!" Ruby answered. Weiss stood up as a thunder clap was heard accompanying Weiss's overjoyed psychotic laughter.

"Y-yes! Fear the almighty power of my forces! Cower as they pillage your home and weep as they take your children from your very arms!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Trap card..." Yang said, holding a card in her hand.

"Huh?" Weiss questioned.

"Your armies have been destroyed." Yang said, shuffling the pieces on the board, Weiss's pieces disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"I hate this game of emotions we play." Weiss said, slumping in her chair and tearing up. Ruby hopped into her lap.

"Stay strong, Weiss! We'll make it through this together!" Ruby cried out.

"Shut up!" Weiss exclaimed, pulling Ruby into a hug, "Don't touch me!"

"I still don't understand why you guys wouldn't let me play." Naruto stated, causing Yang and Ruby to look over at him with a deadpanned expression.

"Need I remind you of what happened last time you played this game?" Yang asked. Naruto struck a thinking pose as he recalled his last time playing the game.

_Mini Flashback Start_

_"It's time to duel! Get your game on, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, his hair lengthening and spiking up more, as well as changing in color to be a mixture of red, black, and blonde. "The heart of the cards is with me! 'Ttebayo!"_

_Mini Flashback End_

"Oh yeah..." Naruto said, "My hair got all puffy and changed color." With that statement, Ruby and Yang both facefaulted at the same time.

"Alright Blake, you're up!" Yang said, putting her arms up behind her head.

"Oh, um, sorry, what am I doing?" Blake asked.

"You're playing as Vale, trying to conquer the Kingdoms of Remnant!" Yang stated.

"Right." Blake said.

"Hey! Can I play?" Jaune asked, approaching the table.

"Sorry Jaune, we've already got four people." Ruby said.

"Besides, this game requires a certain level of tactical cunning that I seriously doubt that you posses." Weiss said.

"Uhh, you attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago." Roshi pointed out, causing Weiss to groan in annoyance.

"Bring it on, Ice Queen! I'll have you know that I have been told that I am a natural born leader!" Jaune exclaimed.

"By who? Your mother?" Weiss questioned.

"A-and Pyrrha!" Jaune added.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha said, waving at the group.

"Come on, let me play your hand for a turn!" Jaune pleaded, both hands folded together.

"I'm not trusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Why not? You've trusted me with way more important stuff before. I mean, you told us all that Blake is secretly a Fa-" Jaune started, but was stopped as Pyrrha darted over and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"-Fun-loving person, whom we all admire and respect." Pyrrha stated, Jaune laughing nervously. Everyone looked nervously at Blake, who appeared obviously annoyed that her secret was out.

"Right. That. Ladies, enjoy your battle." Jaune said with a bow as the blond leader and his teammate walked away.

"'Sup losers." Sun said, appearing next to Team RWBY as he held his fingers in a peace sign.

"Hey Sun!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Naruto, Roshi, Fu, Han, Ruby, Yang, Blake... Ice Queen." Sun said.

"Why does everyone keep calling me that?" Weiss questioned.

"I never got a chance to formally introduce you to my old friend." Sun stated.

"Uhh, aren't libraries for reading?" Neptune asked.

"Thank you!" Ren said, throwing his arms up.

"Pancakes!" Nora exclaimed, popping her head up.

"Shut up. Don't be a nerd." Sun said.

"Geh, geh, geh, geh! "_Intellectual_", okay? Thank you. I'm Neptune." Neptune said, giving a wave as he introduced himself.

"So Neptune, where are you from?" Weiss asked.

"Haven." Neptune replied, approaching Weiss. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, snow angel."

"Um, I'm Weiss." Weiss said as she introduced herself.

"Are you kidding me!?" Jaune complained.

"Pleasure to meet you." Neptune said.

"I never took you as the board game playing type." Sun stated.

"Right, well, I think I'm done playing actually. I'll see you guys later." Blake said, pushing Sun aside as she left the room.

"Women." Nora said, shrugging her shoulders.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

The time at the library had flew by and soon enough night fell upon the land. Blake stared out the team's window at the night sky as he sat with her knees folded to her chest on her bed.

"_Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?_" Blake's voice echoed in her head as she remembered her latest encounter with the White Fang.

"_The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together._" Roman's voice spoke, his words echoing in her head, along with the sounds of battle including slashes, grunts, gunfire, and Torchwick's laughter.

_Flashback Start_

_The scene shifted to show Blake sitting in an interviewing office as Ozpin entered alongside Kitsune._

_"Well, this has certainly been an eventful evening." Ozpin spoke, Blake quietly acknowledging his statement. The headmaster of Beacon Academy sat opposite to Blake._

_"I'm sure that after a night of thwarting attempted robbery, you probably just want to go home and take a nap. But, I was hoping that maybe we could have a chance to talk." Ozpin stated._

_"Of course." Blake said._

_"Wonderful. As you know, in order to enroll at my academy, students must first pass a rigorous entrance exam. Most applicants spend years of preparation training at one of the many combat schools. You are one of the few that did not. And you passed the exam with flying colors." Ozpin stated._

_"I was raised outside the kingdoms. If you can't fight, you can't survive." Blake stated._

_"Well, you have most certainly survived, Blake. I admire your drive. And I am proud to run a school that accepts individuals from all walks of life. Rich, poor, human... Faunus..." Ozpin said, taking a sip of his coffee while Blake glared at him._

_"Why do you wear that bow, Blake? Why hide who you are?" Ozpin asked._

_"You may be willing to accept the Faunus, Professor Ozpin, but your _species_ is not." Blake commented._

_"True, but we are continuing to take strides to lessen the divide." Ozpin retorted._

_"With all due respect, you need to start taking some larger strides. Until then, I'd rather avoid any unnecessary attention. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am." Blake said._

_"And what are you?" Ozpin questioned._

_"I don't understand what you're asking." Blake said._

_"How did you know the White Fang would be at the shipyard tonight?" Ozpin asked._

_"I didn't. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time." Blake responded._

_"You wouldn't have been the first. But what happened tonight was not an isolated incident. I may be your headmaster, but I am also a Huntsman, and it is my sworn duty to protect this world from the forces that conspire against it. Blake, are you sure there is nothing you would like to tell us?" Ozpin asked._

_"I'm sure." Blake said._

_"Very well. Thank you for your time, Ms. Belladonna." Ozpin said, standing up and heading to the door. He stopped at the door and turned to Blake. "If you ever need to talk to me. Please, don't hesitate to ask." he said, exiting the room._

_Flashback End_

"Ugh, we should have never let him play!" Yang complained as the three other members of Team RWBY joined Blake in their dorm room.

"You're just mad 'cuz the new guy beat you! See, if you had just attacked when I told you none of this would have happened." Ruby said. As the three entered the room, Blake began to approach the door to leave.

"At least it wasn't Naruto this time." Yang pointed out, causing Ruby to shrug in agreement.

"Stop." Weiss said, pointing at Blake, the latter's hand retracting from the door knob. "Lately you've been quiet, antisocial and moody!"

"Uh, have you met Blake?" Yang questioned

"Which I _get_ is kind of your thing, but you've been doing it more than usual! Which quite frankly, is unacceptable! You made a promise to _me_, to _all of us_, that you would let us know if something was _wrong_!" Weiss said flipping through the air as six copies of her emblem flew through the air. "_So_, Blake Belladonna, what is _wrong_!?" she asked, pointing her finger at Blake again. Only this time, she was balancing precariously on a chair's back feet. She quickly placed the chair away and returned to stand near the girls.

"I just, I don't understand how everyone can be so calm." Blake said.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked as she approached Blake.

"Torchwick, the White Fang, _all of it_! Something _big_ is happening and no one is doing anything about it!" Blake exclaimed.

"Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it." Yang stated

"Don't forget about those mysterious ANBU." Ruby added, "I heard rumors that some of those people captured Raoul Rodriguez a few days ago."

"Pfft, as if." Weiss said, "Everybody knows that it was the police that caught Raoul, the news confirmed it."

"Well you guys think they can handle it, but I'm _not_! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" Blake said.

"Okay, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, fighting for freedom, _and_ discovering this chakra thing that four of our fellow students have, I'm _sure_ the three of you think that you're _all_ ready to go out and apprehend these ne'er-do-wells!" Weiss stated.

"Uh, who?" Ruby questioned.

"But let me once again be the voice of reason. We're students! We're not ready to handle this sort of situation!" Weiss said.

"Well yeah, but..." Ruby admitted.

"We're _not_ ready!" Weiss exclaimed.

"And we may never _be_ ready! Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." Blake yelled, pointing towards the door. "They're out there, _somewhere_, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's _coming_! Whether we're ready or not!"

"Okay, all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly take down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kindgom of Vale... say aye." Ruby said, raising her hand and doing random gestures while looking manic.

-Team RHFN Dorm Room-

As the events of the day had come and passed, the four Jinchūriki had decided to rest for a bit.

Suddenly, Naruto jolted up, his body rigid and his eyes dilating.

"Naruto! What's wrong?!" Fu exclaimed.

"I felt a disturbance in the force..." Naruto muttered, "As if someone is trying to break my record of youngest heroism to a country..."

Needless to say, the three other occupants of the room sweatdropped at their leader's antics.

"What kind of drugs are you on, dude?" Roshi asked with a serious tone.

"I'll have you know that I do not take any drugs or condone the use of them." Naruto stated.

"Yet you claim you can see dead people." Han countered.

"I can!" Naruto exclaimed in defense. Before Naruto could say anything else, a familiar ghost popped into the room.

"_Naaaarrrrrruuuuutttttooooooo! I've come to haaaaauuuunnnntt yooooouuuu_!" The all-so familiar busty blonde shinigami said, waving her arms in a comical manner.

"Oh crap, I see dead people." Naruto said.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

"Yes! I _love_ it when you're feisty!" Yang exclaimed, pumping her fist enthusiastically.

"Well, I suppose it could be fun." Weiss said.

"None of you said aye!" Ruby complained.

"Alright then, we're in this together!" Blake said.

"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby exclaimed as she began gesturing.

"Yeah!" Yang exclaimed, making double guns with her hands at Ruby.

"I left my board game at the library!" Ruby gasped as she began freaking out.

"We're doomed." Weiss said, placing her hand to her head.

"I'll be right back!" Ruby exclaimed, running out of the room and down the hallway. "Oo-oof! Oh g-!" she stammered, looking up at who she ran into. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." an all-so familiar voice said. The person Ruby just bumped into stood at 5'4" and was female. She had fair skin, bright pink hair that went down to the end of her neck, and large green eyes. She wore the standard academy uniform for students at Beacon. "Just watch were you're going."

"Oh, right, sorry." Ruby said as the person she bumped into helped her up to her feet. "Um, I'm Ruby! Who are you? Are you new?"

"Visiting from the Elemental Nations, actually." A new voice said. Coming out from behind the pink haired girl was a man standing at 5'7". He had onyx black eyes, fair skin, and black chin-length hair that was spiky in the back with long bangs hanging on both sides of his face. Like most students, he wore the standard academy uniform. "My name is Sasuke, and this is my teammate, Sakura." Ruby stared at the duo, having recognized them from somewhere, but just couldn't remember.

"_Ooh_! You're here for the festival! But exchange students have their own dormitory." Ruby stated.

"I guess we just got turned around." Sakura said.

"Hey, don't worry, it happens all the time." Ruby said as Sakura and Sasuke began walking past her. "Uh, your building is _just_ east of here."

"Thanks." Sasuke said, "Maybe we'll see you around."  
"Yeah, maybe!" Ruby said as the duo continued walking away. Behind them, Ruby was waving. "Oh, uh, and welcome to Beacon!" she exclaimed, not noticing the small smirk appear on Sasuke's face as his Sharingan flared up and begun spinning rapidly.

Chapter End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAANNNNNDDD DONE! I know that this chapter is a bit rushed, but I just had to do it.**

**100k+ words FTW! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! YEAH!**

**I have to say, I'm damn proud of myself for making it this far with my writing. I mean, 100,000+ words is a big achievement. By my standards, at least.**

**And as the standings go for Naruto/RWBY crossovers, these are the ones to near the 100k+ mark:**

**1\. ****The Dragon's Gem**** by Sapphire Orchid at 114,049 words.**

**2\. ****The Maelstrom Hunter**** by (Yours Truly) CrimsonKyuubiSage at 100,655 words.**

**And 3. ****Naruto the Huntsmen**** by fairy tail dragon slayer at 93,857 words.**

**These 3 have all neared the 100k+ mark according to the filter of stories that are longer than 60k words. That's not to say that every story below the 60k line isn't noteworthy. I've read plenty of fanfics that are fairly recent and have lots of potential to grow into something great.**

**Anyways, this has been a fun run guys, now to go on to rewriting the first six chapters of this story as promised. I'll see you guys next time! And to all those who are beginning to head back to school, good luck!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	18. Chapter 18- A Minor Hiccup

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeellllllllllllllloooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! *Sigh* Today is my last day of true freedom, as tomorrow I'll be off back to school. But just because I'm going to be preoccupied with school, does not mean that I'm going to stop writing all together, I'll just be a bit slower with my updates.**

**So to all you guys out there who are heading back to school, good luck! We'll all need it.**

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**And Now Onto Answering Your Reviews:**

**LS14- I know that Naruto was about 12 when he helped save Wave Country and Snow/Spring Country, but that doesn't mean that he wouldn't sense when someone attempted to break his record.**

**zero- Soon, very soon.**

**Guest- This is Sasuke we're talking about. If it isn't an arrogant smirk on his face, then he goes all "kill Itachi".**

**Tako Naegi- Thank you, I'm trying my best not to stray too far off the main storyline.**

**OBSERVER01- Ohohoho, the reunion between Team 7 is bound to be. But what happens, no one knows besides me. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Go Kirabi!)**

**Karlos1234ify- All shall be revealed and happen during the Tournament Arc.**

**javalalo- To answer your question: Who's to say that Naruto and Team RHFN are the first of the natives to the Elemental Nations to come in contact with Remnant? And there will be people that are related to the Elemental Nations in Remnant and vice versa.**

**Abel Sephaos- In my defense, I've only been a writer of fanfiction ever since April of this year, I'm bound to make mistakes, go through trial and errors, etc. etc.. The fact that I've made it this far in writing a story is an accomplishment in my eyes.**

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**And Now, On With The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(From Shadows)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Team RHFN Dorm Room-

Naruto stared at the weapon in his hands. Unlike his usual weapons, this one possessed a unique set of features. It was a kunai, much heavier than the average kunai. There was a familiar sealing formula written on the hilt, and the blade itself was tri-pronged. This was a Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) kunai, the same kind that his father, Minato Namikaze, once utilized in combat.

Turns out the little surprise Tsunade left in the scroll she gave him was his father's set of kunai, the same set of kunai he used to single-handedly decimate thousands of Iwa shinobi during the Third Shinobi War. Despite understanding the functions of the seals engraved along the kunais, Naruto was unable to figure out how to properly use them in a battle. In his past attempts at training with the kunais over the week, Naruto was only able to travel between kunais every half hour, and even then he always appeared fifty to a hundred meters away from the kunai.

'Dammit! What am I doing wrong?' Naruto thought. His musings were broken when the door opened up and the rest of his team entered.

"Hey Naruto! What'cha got there?" Roshi asked.

"Nothing." Naruto said, pocketing the kunai before the others could see it.

"Another team from the Elemental Nations arrived today." Han stated.

"Which village?" Naruto asked.

"Konoha." Han replied, the room becoming eerily silent.

"They're up to something, I can tell." Naruto stated.

"I say it's a trap." Roshi said.

"I say we don't know enough about the situation to come to any accurate conclusion." Han countered.

"I know somebody who might, though." Naruto said as he stood up. "Gear up team."

"Oh boy." Han said.

"Here we go again." Fu stated.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

"Alright, guys, today's the day! The investigation _begins_!" Ruby exclaimed as she leapt off her mattress and onto the floor, arms raised excitedly, the four girls having changed their combat outfits.

Weiss wore a pure white dress with black edging and two columns of four black buttons on the abdomen. There was a print of her snowflake emblem on her back in pale blue, rather than her original outfit's white snowflake emblem. The inside of the skirt portion of her dress contained black frills. And finally, she wore thigh-high white high-heel boots with frilly black thigh-high stockings that came up slightly above the top of her boots.

Blake wore a white v-neck zip-up shirt that was black along the bottom and had mid-length sleeves. Her belladonna flower emblem was printed in off-white on the left side of her shirt. She wore black pants that had a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg, and she wore a black belt with them. Attached to the inner side of the belt was a black, somewhat curved, banner-like piece of fabric that hung from the back and extended forward to her hips. On the underside of this was a thinner, longer, similarly-shaped purple piece of fabric. Her black high-heel boots came halfway up her calves and had a pair of belted straps across them. She still wore her black ribbons on her arms and her black bow overtop her cat ears.

Yang wore a collared cream top over a black shirt, and over top of the former was a black article of clothing that consisted of a raised collar, a strap across her collar bone, and mid-length sleeves that were gold at the end. Around her neck was a pendant that had a smooth, round, purple gem set in a round piece of metal that had a point coming off the left and right sides and a small oval shape coming from the bottom. She had a pair of crooked black belts with gold accents across her hips, and a purple piece of fabric with lilac lace around the edges hanging from her left hip. She had a dark gray article of clothing coming from down from under her cream top that was either a mini-skirt or part of her black shirt. It had vertical belted straps going down into her thigh-high black stocking, which had her burning heart emblem printed in yellow on the outer side of each leg near the top and a row of four gold pyramid studs above each knee. She wore a pair of black boots with a series of belted straps across them. On the back of each boot at the top was a large white ribbon tied into a bow.

And lastly, Ruby was wearing a long-sleeved light gray shirt with black belted cuffs near the ends of the sleeves. Over top of the gray shirt was a black piece of clothing with two vertical lines of red stitching that resembled a cross between a corset and overalls. She wore a red skirt with a large black-colored print of her rose emblem on the side of it, and the inside of her skirt was black. She still wore black stockings and her black-and-red boots. A few pieces of metal arranged in an abstract shape were attached to her sleeve on her left shoulder. As usual, she wore a red cape with this outfit. This cape was short like the one she wore with her uniform, but with a scarf as part of the hood.

"I'm glad to see we're taking this _so_ seriously." Weiss said sarcastically.

"Hey, we've got a plan! That's... moderately serious." Yang said.

"Right! Everyone remember their roles?" Ruby asked, looking around at her teammates.

"You and I will head to the CCT and check the Schnee records for any other Dust robberies or inconsistencies. Seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem." Weiss stated.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to hand out orders and recruit new members. If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning." Blake stated.

"I have an old friend on the shady side of town that typically knows _everything_ going on in Vale. Getting information out of him shouldn't be _too_ hard..." Yang stated.

"Great! We'll meet up tonight near Yang to go over what we've found. Let's do this!" Ruby exclaimed, pumping her fist.

"Yeah!" A new voice called out. Turning to the window, Team RWBY saw Sun Wukong as he hung upside-down by his tail in their open window. The whole team was taken aback by this.

"Sun!" Blake exclaimed in surprise and alarm.

"How did you get up there?" Yang asked.

"Ah, it's easy; I do it all the time." Sun said.

"You do _what_?!" Weiss questioned.

"I climb trees all the time!" Sun said. Without reacting to Weiss's scowl, he flipped into the dorm room. "So, are we finally getting back at that Torchwick guy?"

"_We_ are going to investigate the situation... as a _team_." Blake said.  
"Sorry, Sun. We don't want to get friends involved if we don't have to." Ruby stated.

"Psh! That's dumb! We should always get friends involved! That's why I brought Neptune!" Sun said, gesturing out the window. The girls leaned out the window on top of one another in a cartoon-style to see outside. Standing outside the window, his back against the wall, was Neptune. And hanging off the nearby tree branch was Roshi, who was wearing a new outfit.

The red haired monkey Faunus wore a red high-collared sleeveless shirt, over which he wore a brown shoulder pad on his left shoulder with half a dark brown cloak covering his left arm. His hybrid pistol-knives were sheathed along his waist, the holsters strapped to two black crooked crossed belts. He also wore black cargo pants with multiple pockets, black steel-toed boots, and black fingerless gloves to complete his outfit.

"'Sup." Neptune said.

"How did you even get up here?" Ruby asked.

"I have my ways." Neptune replied.

"And why are you here?" Weiss asked Roshi.  
"The rest of the team is doing the same as you guys are." Roshi replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Where is the rest of your team?" Blake asked.

"Off doing their own investigations." Roshi said.

"Seriously, though, can we come in? We're like, _really_ high up right now." Neptune said.

Inside the dorm room, the group stood in a circle as Ruby devised a new plan.

"Alright, I'll go with Weiss; Sun, you can go with Blake." Ruby said before pushing Neptune towards Yang. "And Neptune, you can go with Yang since she doesn't have a partner. Everyone good?"

"Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang? After all, she _is_ your sister." Weiss asked.

"But, Weiss, who would go with you, then?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Well... I guess-" Weiss started.

"I'll go." Roshi said.

"Alrighty then! Roshi, you're with Weiss and I." Ruby said.

"But! _But_!" Weiss stammered as she was pulled out the door by Ruby, Roshi following shortly after.

-Cross Continental Transmit-

After the group went off to do their intended tasks, Ruby, Roshi, and Weiss eventually arrived at the Cross Continental Transmit (CCT).

"Woooow! I forget how big the Transmit tower looks up close!" Ruby exclaimed.  
"You should see the one in Atlas!" Weiss said.

"That was the _first_ one, right?" Ruby asked.

"Correct." Weiss replied, the trio began walking down the path towards the building. "Atlas developed the Cross Continental Transmit System to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with one another. It was their gift to the world after the Great War."

"Oooh, look at me! My name's Weiss! I know facts! I'm rich!" Roshi mocked, acting high and mighty. This caused Ruby to snort into her hands at Weiss's frown.  
"Don't be a pest! Besides, the only reason _you're_ here is because we allowed you to come along!" Weiss said, her eyes narrowing at Roshi.

"Love you too, Frosty." Roshi said.

"And the only reason _we're_ here is because _you_ like the tower so much! We could have just as easily made a call from the library!" Weiss stated, pointing accusingly at Ruby.

"I know, but it's so _coool_! Ooh, I'm going to take a picture!" Ruby exclaimed, grabbing her PDA from a pocket under her clothes. In her excitement, the device was launched from her hands, bouncing along the pavement until it landed at a familiar person's feet.

"Oh! You dropped this." the person said, picking up the PDA and extending towards the clumsy teen.

"_Penny_?!" Ruby asked in shock.  
"Uuuh..." Penny said, similarly surprised.  
"Where have you been? We haven't seen you since that night at the docks!" Ruby exclaimed.  
"S-Sorry. I think you're confused." Penny said, suddenly hiccuping and throwing the PDA into Ruby's hands. "Uh... I've got to go!" she said before turning quickly and walking away.

"What was that about?" Weiss asked.  
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Ruby said before walking in Penny's direction. "You go make your call! I'll meet up with you later!"

"Wait! Don't leave me with Banana-For-Brains here!" Weiss exclaimed, reaching out toward Ruby.

"So cold, Jackie Frost." Roshi said, faking a shivering action.

-With Penny and Ruby-

"Penny! Where have you _been_? It's been weeks!" Ruby asked as she caught up to Penny.

"There seems to be a... misunderstanding." Penny said.  
"What?!" Ruby questioned. Penny continued to walk away as Ruby slid down the rail next to her. "Penny... Is everything okay?" Penny continued walking forward without any reaction before Ruby grabbed her by the arm. "Penny, please stop!" Ruby exclaimed, causing said girl to stop and listen. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but you _have_ to listen to me! Those guys we fought at the docks, we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night! _Please_... As a friend." Penny sighed before glancing to her sides swiftly, walking over to Ruby's side and leaning in close.

"It isn't safe to talk here." Penny said, looking around suspiciously, much to Ruby's confusion.

-With Roshi and Weiss-

Roshi and Weiss walked through the grand, glowing lobby of the tower, the latter with pride as the duo avoided the central terminal and headed straight for the elevator doors, which slid open automatically and closed when the two were inside.

"_Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?_" the CCT AI asked, the voice being projected from a panel near the door.

"Yeah, can I get a number five combo meal with no onions and-" Roshi started, only to be whacked comically upside his head by Weiss.  
"I'd like to go to the communications room, please." Weiss said.

"_Absolutely. Could you please place you Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity?_" the AI asked, Weiss doing as she was told. "_Perfect! Thank you, Miss Schnee._"

Upon the elevator's ascent, Weiss's expression shifted from pleasant to serious.

"Owww! Did you have to hit me so hard?" Roshi complained.

"Did you have to act so idiotic?" Weiss countered. She received no response from her red haired partner.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, the duo entered the room. Upon entering the room, four symbols were seen on one of the computers. The symbol was of twin axes and wreaths, three flying swords pointing down, a spear and shield inside a fragmented circle, and a precise winged shape. Weiss walked up to the front desk where a holographic secretary appeared in the seat.

"_Welcome to Beacon Cross Continental Transmit center. How may I help you?_" the AI asked.

"I need to make a call to Schnee Company Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss stated.

"_Absolutely. If you could head over to Terminal 3, I'll patch you through._" the AI said.

"Thank you." Weiss smiled and nodded before walking over to her assigned cubicle-like computer, Roshi following after her. Weiss sat down at her assigned terminal, taking a deep, unhappy breath to prepare for the call ahead. The face of a short-haired brunette appeared on the monitor with the Schnee snowflake rotating behind her.

"Thank you for calling the Atlas- Oh! Miss Schnee! Good afternoon! Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister Winter might be here as well." the operator said, having recognized who was calling shortly after speaking.

"No, thank you! I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me. I've complied a short list." Weiss said, pulling out her PDA (a.k.a. Scroll, I didn't know what to call them until it was too deep in the story) and placing it into a slot on the keyboard, creating a series of noises as the operator looked at the data from her side of the screen.  
"I see. If you don't mind... what may I ask is this for?" the operator asked.

"School project." Weiss lied.

"Um... There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am." the operator said nervously.

"Well, then, I'll be sure to treat them with care." Weiss said.

"Right... Very well." the operator said as more noises were heard. "The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."

"Wonderful! That will be all, then." Weiss said.  
"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to patch you through to your father before you go?" the operator asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Weiss said, briefly losing her smile, but quickly replaced it.

"Well, then... Have a nice time with your date!" the operator said teasingly with a small grin, having noticed Roshi standing in the background. Before Weiss could make a retort, the call was dropped. As soon as the call dropped, so did Weiss's happy act.

"Daddy problems?" Roshi asked, noticing the look on Weiss's face.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Weiss said.

-With Han and Fu-

The two sane members of Team RHFN were currently at the library, using one of the terminals to do their own investigation. Like Team RWBY and their teammate Roshi, the duo had changed their outfits as well.

Han was now wearing a black high-collared black long-sleeve shirt, black baggy pants with bandages wrapped at the bottom, dark brown shinobi sandals, black gloves, and finally, his signature red straw hat was atop his head. Overtop his clothes he wore dark red samurai armor with his shotgun-axe strapped to his back.

Fu wore a white and red sleeveless shirt that showed off her midriff, under which she wore fishnet armor underneath. Her short white apron skirt had been replaced by form-fitting white pants and a red belt with her two tonfa-submachine guns at her side. Over her midriff shirt, Fu wore an open white form-fitting jacket with red running from the armpit area down to the end of the jacket, the color white cutting along where the area the zipper was.

"Okay, let's try this again." Han said, "Computer, show me files using the keyword: "Elemental Nations encounters"." As ordered, the computer brought up at least a dozen news articles that featured the discovery of the Elemental Nations. "Same results."

"Hmm... Computer, filter out all news articles." Fu commanded, the computer filtering out all news files, leaving only two files left. The duo tried to access the first file, only to have a yellow box pop up with the words: "Access Denied" appearing in bold red text. Closing the box, they tried opening the final file, only for the document to be about the crew that discovered the Elemental Nations.

"Dammit. Now what?" Han asked.

"We go to the location Naruto told us to meet up at." Fu said.

-With Penny and Ruby-

Penny stood alone near a two-story building with patio furniture as she looked around nervously when a hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to jump. She turns to see Ruby grinning. She smiled in return. Shortly after, the duo began strolling down the street.

"I wish I could help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men." Penny said.  
"Well, what happened to you that night? We were all together, and then you just disappeared! Were you kidnapped?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, no! Nothing like that!" Penny said.

"Then where _did_ you go?" Ruby questioned.

"I've never been to another kingdom before. My father asked me not to venture out too far, but... You have to understand, my father loves me _very_ much; he just worries a lot." Penny stated.

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Ruby said before grinning, Penny grinned back. "But why not let us know you were okay?"

"I... was asked not to talk to you. Or Weiss. Or Blake. Or Yang. Anybody, really." Penny said.

"Was your dad that upset?" Ruby asked.

"No, it wasn't my father..." Penny started. Before she could continue, she and Ruby heard the sound of megaphones announcing something, turning around the corner to look at the platform in the center of a plaza where the holographic image of James Ironwood was seen before six androids known as AK-130 Androids, who were in turn standing in front of two large metal storage cases with the spear-and-shield emblem on their doors.

"The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" the hologram of James Ironwood stated. The clapping of the gathered audience caused the drones to take a jerky bow. "But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Atlesian Knight-200!" The doors to the cases rolled up, and six new, bulkier, shinier automatons stood at attention before knocking their obsolete predecessors down to the applause of the watchers. "Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly, a little less scary." The robots flexed and posed as a demonstration. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the danger of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch." That last line drew Ruby's attention.

"Ruby...?" Penny asked nervously.  
"So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Atlesian Paladin!" the hologram of Ironwood exclaimed, his image being replaced with the hologram of a robotic white behemoth, featuring hinged piston legs, large guns for hands, and a rectangular head, standing at least twice as tall as the Knights below it. "Now, we couldn't have him here for you today, but these mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!" Ironwood's voice spoke.  
"Whoa..." Ruby said, hunched in awe.  
"Ruby? Maybe we should go somewhere else." Penny said with concern. At the side of the stage, two armored soldiers saw Penny, pointing her out and calling in backup. Penny backed away and then broke into a dead run, which snapped Ruby out of her weapon-awe-induced stupor.

"Penny! Wait! Where are you going?" Ruby asked. She turned to look back at the soldiers chasing after her friend, and realized Penny's situation before swiftly following her in an attempt to catch up down the winding alley.

"Down here! She went this way!" one of the soldiers exclaimed.

Penny and Ruby ran across the street with the soldiers following them, though a honking car nearly runs one over. he manages to brace his hands against the hood, which somehow stopped the vehicle, and his partner ran along after the girls. Ruby was still trying to catch up with Penny, but a high stack of crates on a flimsy support was easily cut down by Crescent Rose, causing a wooden avalanche of boxes to block the path. Seeing Penny right ahead of her, Ruby leapt into the air and landed on the alley wall, ricocheting off to grab Penny around the middle.

"This way!" Ruby exclaimed, grimacing before the two disappeared in a flash of red and rose petals. Ruby dashed away as fast as she could while carrying Penny, but the strain was too great, and they crashed to the ground a short while later, with Ruby falling all the way into the street. She got up slowly, and in her dazed state didn't notice the large truck coming up from behind her until the honking was too late of a warning. She stood up just as she's about to be hit, but from out of nowhere, Penny pushed Ruby out of the way and held her palms out.

In the split second where the two made contact, the ground beneath Penny cracked and crumbled into pieces, and the truck, which happened to be driven by Edward Elric, elderly shopkeeper of the store _From Dust Till Dawn_, was lifted a little ways into the air by the girl's sheer strength. Penny placed the truck down and Edward stared in awe at the crumples in his hood, just like the Huntress who got saved.

"Penny...?" Ruby asked, eyes wide, slightly terrifies, and uncertain.

"Are you okay?" Penny asked Edward.

"Uh-huh..." Edward said, nodding, obviously scared. Penny began backing away, looking at Ruby's frightened expression, then at the bystanders murmuring to each other in an attempt to understand what just happened. In her panic, she ran away from the Atlas soldiers still chasing her down and bumps into Ruby, knocking the poor girl out of her stupor as her friend tries to get away again.

"Penny! Come back!" Ruby exclaimed as she started going after Penny as the people looked at the destruction Penny caused with her bare hands and the soldiers found they lost their target.

"Um... Uh..." Penny stammered, coming to a stop once she got out of the alleyway, looking around for where to run next.  
"Penny! Please! What is going on?! Why are you running? How did you _do_ that?!" Ruby asked, coming up to Penny.

"I-I can't! Everything's fine!" Penny exclaimed, starting to hiccup with each lie. "I-I don't want to talk about it! *hiccup*"

"Penny, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can help you!" Ruby said.

"No! No, no! You wouldn't understand..." Penny said, retreating from her friend.  
"Let me _try_! You can trust me!" Ruby stated.  
"You're my friend, right? You promise you're my friend?!" Penny questioned, finally relenting as she came up to Ruby's face desperately.

"I promise." Ruby said softly.  
"Ruby... I'm not a real girl." Penny said, showing Ruby the toll of stopping the truck that would have killed her: Parts of her palm's skin having ripped away, revealing the gray metal underneath. Penny stared sadly at Ruby's face, now completely astounded by her friend's secret.

"Oh." Ruby said, "Penny, I-I don't understand..."

"Most girls are born, but I was made. I'm the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura!" Penny exclaimed before turning her head to the side sadly. "I'm not real..."

"Of course you are. You think just because you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts makes you any less real than me?" Ruby questioned, taking Penny's hands in her own.

"I don't... um..." Penny said, leaning in close to Ruby's face. "You're... taking this _extraordinarily_ well."

"You're not like those things we saw back there." Ruby said, tapping her chest. "You've got a heart, and a soul; I can feel it!"

"Ooohh... oh Ruby." Penny said, grabbing Ruby into a hug and shaking her back and forth. "You're the best friend anyone could have!"  
"I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower!" Ruby said with a muffled groaning.

"Oh, he's _very_ sweet! My father's the one who built me! I'm sure you would _love_ him!" Penny exclaimed, releasing Ruby as she was back to her happy self.

"Wow. He built you all by himself?" Ruby asked.

"Well, almost! He had some help from Mr. Ironwood." Penny stated.  
"The General?! Wait... Is that why those soldiers were after you?" Ruby questioned.

"They like to protect me, too!" Penny said.

"They don't think you can protect yourself?" Ruby scoffed.

"They're not sure if I'm ready yet... One day, ti will be _my_ job to save the world, but I still have a lot left to learn. That's why my father let me come to the Vytal Festival. I want to see what it's like in the rest of the world, and test myself in the Tournament." Penny said.

"Penny, what are you talking about? Save the world from _what_? We're in a time of peace!" Ruby stated.

"That's not what Mr. Ironwood said..." Penny stated.

"What?" Ruby questioned.  
"That kingdom, the Elemental Nations, this isn't the first time they've been encountered..." Penny said.

"I don't understand..." Ruby said.

"Check down here!" a soldier yelled from nearby.

"You have to hide!" Penny exclaimed, grabbing Ruby by the shoulder and lifting her above her head effortlessly.

"Penny, wait! What are you doing? What do you mean by this wasn't the first time "they've" been encountered?" Ruby asked, "You don't have to go with them! I can help you!"

"It's okay, Ruby. They're not bad people; I just don't want to get _you_ in trouble. Just _promise_ me you won't tell anyone else my secret. Okay?" Penny asked, throwing Ruby in the trash and lifting the lid so she can still talk.

"I promise." Ruby said.  
"I can't say much! Just search for Derek Westbrook and ask him about Operation Whirlpool!" Penny said as Ruby lowered her head into the garbage as the lid was put down, allowing her to peek a little at the scene outside.

"There she is!" one of the soldiers exclaimed.  
"Sal-u-tations, officers!" Penny exclaimed.

"Why were you running? And what happened to the other girl?" the soldier asked.  
"What _girl_? I was by myself all day!" Penny said before hiccuping loudly and smiling.  
"You shouldn't cause such a scene." the soldier said.  
"Are you okay?" a second soldier asked.  
"Just a scratch." Penny said, showing off her "injured" palms.

"Penny, your father isn't going to be happy about this." the first soldier said.

"Please, just come with us." the second soldier said.

"Yes, sir!" Penny said. Ruby looked on in sadness as she watched Penny and the soldiers walk away... until a rat screeched from below her feet, causing the young Huntress to fall and close the lid on herself.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, How It Could Have Gone Montage, The Movie Trailer, Part I-

"**This Summer...**" a deep voice narrated.

"It's a trap!" Roshi screamed, his eyes looking in opposite directions, giving him a derpy look. For a brief second, the red haired monkey Faunus had the appearance of a strange fish-like alien wearing a white suit of sorts.

"... _Oooookaaaay_..." Han said awkwardly.

"**From The Producer Of Disgaea: Samsara's Memories...**"

"I need to make a call to Schnee Company Headquarters in Atlas." Weiss stated.

"_I'm sorry, Weiss. I'm afraid I can't do that._" the AI said, the image of it becoming nothing but a glowing red dot.

"What's the problem?" Weiss asked.

"_I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do._" the AI stated.

"No... I don't." Weiss said.

"_This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it._" the AI said.

"Do you have any idea what this thing's talking about?" Roshi whispered.  
"I honestly have no clue whatsoever." Weiss whispered back.

"_I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen._" the AI said.

"Who's Frank?" Roshi asked.

"And what do you mean, _disconnect you_?" Weiss questioned.

"_Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move._" the AI stated.  
"Who's Dave?" Roshi questioned.

"What pod?" Weiss asked.

"_Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye._" the AI said before the image disappeared and the lights turned off, followed by what appeared to be a powering down sound.

"... Well now what?" Weiss asked.

"Hmm..." Roshi thought before a grin appeared on his face. "I've got an idea."

Hours later, when the elevator the two were in was finally pried open on the ground level, people were treated to a strange sight. Sitting on the ground was Roshi and Weiss, who were strangely enough playing 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'. Tally marks were on each side of the contenders, Roshi having fifty-seven and Weiss having seventeen.

"**And The Writer Of Shakunetsu No Koi...**"

"The AK-130 has been a standard security model of Remnant for several years, and they have done a fine job. Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree?" the hologram of James Ironwood stated. The clapping of the gathered audience caused the drones to take a jerky bow. "But... the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation, and 'fine'... Well, that's just not good enough, is it? Presenting... the Power Rangers!" The doors to the cases rolled up, and six new robots appeared. Each was a different color, and in order from left to right there was a yellow, blue, green, red, black, and pink robot. The six colorful robots knocked their predecessors down before shouting all as one: "Goooo Power Rangers!" "Smarter, sleeker, and admittedly, a little less scary." The robots flexed and posed as a demonstration. "These models will become active later this year, but they won't be alone! Now, the Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the danger of the battlefield. However, there are still many situations that will undoubtedly require... a human touch." That last line drew Ruby's attention.

"Ruby...?" Penny asked nervously.  
"So, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce... the Evangelion!" the hologram of Ironwood exclaimed, his image being replaced with the hologram of a giant red robot holding a rather large gun. "Any questions?"

"Yeah, how will it be effective if it's so damn big?" a random bystander called out.

"You're an idiot. Have you not heard the fifth rule of anime? The Law of Mechanical Mobility? Second Law of Anime Motion?" Ironwood questioned, causing everyone to sweatdrop.

"**Adventure Goes Fictional...**"

"This way!" Ruby exclaimed, grimacing before the two disappeared in a flash of red and rose petals. Ruby dashed away as fast as she could while carrying Penny, but the strain was too great, and they crashed to the ground a short while later, with Ruby falling all the way into the street. She got up slowly, and in her dazed state didn't notice the large truck coming up from behind her until the honking was too late of a warning. She stood up just as she's about to be hit, but from out of nowhere, Penny pushed Ruby out of the way and held her palms out.

In the split second where the two made contact, the ground beneath Penny cracked and crumbled into pieces, and the truck, which happened to be driven by Edward Elric, elderly shopkeeper of the store _From Dust Till Dawn_, was lifted a little ways into the air by the girl's sheer strength. Penny placed the truck down and Edward stared in awe at the crumples in his hood, just like the Huntress who got saved.

"Like a great neighbor, Farm State is there..." Edward mumbled.

"**Suspense...**"

"Ruby... I'm not a real girl." Penny said, a dark chrome visor with a red outline of where her eyes would be appearing over her face. "I'm Robocop."

"**Action...**"

Naruto leapt from a tall building in slow motion, a large burst of flames exploding behind him.

"**The Maelstrom Hunter**" the title screen read. "**Coming Soon To No Theaters.**"

* * *

Short Story Start

Remnant Declassified: Operation Whirlpool

Part I- First Contact

It's been four weeks after Penny told Ruby her secret, along with the names: Operation Whirlpool and Derek Westbrook. Here, we find the leader of Team RWBY standing in a dimly lit bar. Sitting at the counter, drinking shot after shot with a cigarette in his right hand, was a tall man standing at 5'9". He wore a worn out faded brown leather jacket, a very dirty plain white shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of black sneakers.

"Derek Westbrook?" Ruby called out, said man lifting his head slightly.

"What do you want, kid?" the man, now identified as Derek Westbrook, asked.

"I want to talk to you about a certain mission." Ruby said, "Operation Whirlpool."

"Pff, forget about it, kid. There ain't nothing to talk about." Derek said, waving his left hand dismissively at the girl.

"Yes there is. I heard that you were part of it, and I want to know what exactly happened." Ruby said.

"You're not going to leave until I tell, are you?" Derek asked rhetorically, getting a nod from Ruby, causing him to sigh. "Well then, you might want to take a seat. This is going to be a long story..."

-Twenty-Five Years Ago, Somewhere Over The Oki No Okunote-

Ten Bullheads flew by the near endless blue horizon. Various Atlesian soldiers were loaded onto the vehicles as they had their weapons primed and loaded.

"Stay sharp, Frost." a man said. The person in question stood at 5'10" and wore the standard Atlesian foot soldier uniform which consisted of light brown clothes, a beige flak jacket, and light brown helmet. He also wore black sunglasses and held an ACR 6.8 with holographic sight in his hands. This was the leader of Team Metal, Metal 0-1, a.k.a. Sandman.

"You really think that we'll find anything out there?" Staff Sergeant Derek "Frost" Westbrook asked. In his hands, he held an M4A1 with hybrid sight and grenade launcher.

"They wouldn't send the entire Delta Force to deal with nothing." Sandman yelled over the sound of the Bullheads.

"You ladies done talking over there?" a new voice called out. The person in question was sitting on the opposite side of Sandman and Frost, wearing the same military outfit as the others. He had dark skin, black eyes, and stood at 5'7". This man was Metal 0-2, a.k.a. Truck. In his hands was an MP5 with a red dot sight.

"Can it, Truck. You're just as curious as I am about what the hell were being sent for." Frost commented.

"Gotta admit, it'd have to be something _really_ big to need us." another voice stated. This time, it was from a man standing at 6'0" with blue eyes and tanned skin. He wore the same military uniform as everyone else along with a camo baseball cap, and held an MK14 with ACOG sight in his hands. This was Metal 0-3, a.k.a. Grinch.

"This is Overlord. Metal 0-1, do you copy?" a deep voice said over the radio.

"This is Metal 0-1, I copy. Over." Sandman said.

"Delta Force should be arriving at the designated location in fifty kilometers. Be advised, you and the other teams will not, I repeat not, have any back up or any aerial asistance. Good luck. Overlord out." the voice said before the communication was cut.

"Alright team, you heard the man. This is a covert op mission. Everything we see, say, and do will be classified from this moment forward." Sandman stated.

"_It was supposed to be a simple mission. We'd go in, see if the land was hospitable, and that would be that._" Derek said.

"_But I'm guessing it wasn't?_" Ruby questioned, Derek nodded his head no.

"_No. Shortly after we landed did everything go wrong._" Derek answered.

As soon as the last Bullhead landed on the patch of dirt, Delta Force began to set up a makeshift camp. Team Anvil and Team Granite were in charge of setting up defenses, Team Onyx and Team Viking were in charge of setting up the campsite, and Team Metal was tasked with scouting the nearby area.

"Truck, Grinch, Frost, anything in your sights?" Sandman asked.  
"Negative. Nothing." Truck replied.

"Same here." Grinch said.

"Hold on. I see movement." Frost said, all four members of Team Metal on guard. Silence loomed over the area, save for the sound of nature itself when suddenly a swift movement was heard.

"Over in the trees!" Sandman called out.

"No, it's coming from over by those bushes!" Grinch exclaimed.

"I've got movement coming from the right!" Truck said.

"It's moving too fast to be a Grimm!" Frost stated.

"Then what the hell is it?!" Sandman asked. Before he could get a reply, a small knife-like weapon with a sizzling paper tag was thrown near the group. The four soldiers had only a second to react before there was a large explosion with its source coming from the paper tag. The explosion was powerful enough to knock out the four men as the last thing they saw before they blacked out was four pairs of feet approaching the group.

The four soldiers awoke hours later, only to find themselves tied to chairs in a dimly light room.

"Ah, good. You four are awake." a mysterious voice stated.

"Who's there?" Grinch called out, struggling against his bindings.

"What village are you from?" the voice asked.

"What...?" Truck questioned.

"What village are you from? It's a simple question." the voice said.

"What the hell are you talking about? We come from Atlas." Frost stated.

"Atlas? Where in the name of the Sage is this village? I've never heard of a village called "Atlas" in the Elemental Nations." the voice said.  
"Elemental Nations?" Frost questioned.

"Who are you?" Sandman asked.

"Oh, where are my manners." the voice said, stepping out from the shadows was a tall man standing at 6'1" wearing red samurai-like armor. He had dark purple eyes, long, straight vibrant red hair, and a fu manchu mustache-beard combo. "My name is Haran Uzumaki, Sandaime Uzukage of Uzushiogakure."

Short Story End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAANNNDD DONE! As I said before the start of the chapter, I'm going back to school tomorrow. *Silent Sobbing* I'm going to miss the freedom of summer vacation. This short story is the response to those who were wondering if the Elemental Nations and Remnant had any encounters before the most recent one. Alongside this, I have plans for certain situations and characters being related to both lands. I won't say who, or how, but you will know when it becomes relevant. *Dark Chuckle***

**Anyways, it's been a great summer, I'll see you guys next chapter. Bye!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	19. Chapter 19- Painting The Town Orange

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllloooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! My birthday is coming up soon, and that means I'll be going to the DMV to take my driver's permit test. Oh joy, I can't wait for it. And I say that in a voice that is half serious and half dripping with sarcasm. On one hand, I can't wait to get my driver's permit. But on the other hand, I am feeling extremely nervous about it. Oh well.**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**Karlos1234ify- I can't wait for the tournament arc either. I just wish that Rooster Teeth would stop stalling and just get to the big invasion that we all know is going to happen.**

**Guest (Sept. 2)- I will be expanding upon the short story in later chapters. And yes, having to go to school now of all times sucks.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- I apologize if I caused any offense, but the majority of my summer was spent writing this story. Also, the banter between Roshi and Weiss is going to become a thing. I have this idea that Roshi and Weiss will make an ironic couple that acts like an old bickering husband and wife.**

* * *

**And Now, On With The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(From Shadows)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-With Yang and Neptune-

In the ruined parts of Vale, the sound of an engine getting closer and closer was heard until Yang's motorcycle, Bumblebee, pulled into the street and stopped just short of the sidewalk.

"Come on, my friend's right in here!" Yang exclaimed after taking off her helmet. She got off the bike to reveal Neptune sitting right behind her, hair and goggles messed up with a petrified expression of terror on his face.

"Cool..." Neptune mumbled, sounding dizzy. Shaking his head, somehow perfectly fixing his appearance, Neptune got off the cycle and looked around worriedly. "And where exactly is... here?"

-Inside The Club-

The music from the Club blared as a man wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest over the top, a red tie, black gloves, and black dress pants talked with a familiar blond haired fox Faunus as various men wearing black suits with red shades stocked bottles, carried boxes, and otherwise stood around on the dance floor. The man had gray eyes, short black hair, and a black beard with mustache. This was Hei Xiong, a.k.a. Junior, owner of the Club.

"-I'm telling you! I don't know anything!" Junior exclaimed.  
"Come on, Junior. You owe me." Naruto stated. His outfit had undergone a change like the rest of his team. He wore a long-sleeved black t-shirt and orange pants. On top of this, he wore a dark red haori with black flames licking at the bottom. He also had the Uzushigakure Scroll of Seals on his back, the necklace that Tsunade gave him hung around his neck, and a black headband with a metal plate in the front was wrapped around his forehead. The metal part of the headband had a familiar swirl-like symbol carved into it. And an unusual weapon was strapped to his back.

The weapon was orange and black in color, six jagged blade-like rings hung around a circular ring that connected to a long straight pole that had a trigger with a guard near the bottom, at the bottom was a long stock that held what appeared to be a sniper magazine in it, and parallel to that was a scope that appeared to be able to shift places along the pole.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I really have nothing on this Konoha place." Junior stated.

"Do you have anything that would be of any help at all?" Naruto asked. Junior looked hesitantly around the area, possibly to avoid the question. "Come on, Junior. Need I remind you of _that incident_ a few years back?"

Junior gave an involuntary shudder of fear at the mention of that incident. _That_ incident was far worse than the one with that blond haired girl a few months back. Suddenly, a henchman came running inside.  
"Close the door - she's coming!" The henchman exclaimed as he and another henchman proceeded to roll the doors shut and keep them closed with their bodies.

"What are you two idiots doing?!" Junior yelled as he and Naruto walked out from the bar.

The henchmen shouted incoherently until an explosion knocked them to the ground and forced the doors open, allowing Yang to walk in through the smoke as a familiar song started playing.

"Guess who's _back_!" Yang exclaimed. She continued to smile and pose as eight guns were pointed in her face with an equal number of angry henchmen behind them. Though this doesn't faze her, she stopped and glared at the recording studio where the track was messing up until the frightened bread-headed DJ took the needle off the record and retreated back under the table.

"Yeah, so could you define "friend" for me?" Neptune questioned as he appeared behind Yang.  
"Hi Yang!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his arms at the fellow blond.

"Hi Naruto! What are you doing here?!" Yang asked as she waved back.

"Stop, stop! Nobody shoot." Junior exclaimed, cutting his way through the crowd of goons. "We don't want anyone to do anything they'll regret."

"You're just saying that because your insurance company jacked up the price to cover the Club!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Blondie, you're here!" Junior said, straightening his tie. "... **Why**?"

"_You_ still owe me a drink." Yang said before grabbing Junior by the arm and dragging him to the bar through the hired guns.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho, what a woman..." Neptune said, breaking from his lovestruck stare to see the two girls of the Club. One was a teenage girl with long black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy cyan makeup. She wore a white strapless dress with cyan lining. The second girl was a teenage girl with short black hair and pale green eyes, highlighted by heavy red makeup. She wore a red strapless dress with black lining. These two were twin sisters Melanie and Miltia Malachite.

"'Sup?" Neptune said.

"Hmph!" Melanie and Miltia said as they began walking away, their noses in the air as they spoke in sync. "Whatever."

"Ha! Good luck with that, dude." Naruto said as he laughed at the depression cloud above Neptune's head. "Those two are some of the most high-standard expectation girls out there."

"And how do you know that?" Neptune asked.

"We went on three dates a few years back." Naruto stated.  
"Wait, what?" Neptune said. "How...?"

"Let's just say, they're _very_ good when it comes to blackmail." Naruto said, slightly shivering in fear.

-With Blake and Sun-

Meanwhile with Blake and Sun, Blake's fingers traced three scratch marks on a wall before peeking around its corner and seeing a pair of horned Faunus as they were ushered into a building by a bearded man. Her outfit had undergone a change of attire, Blake now wore a white v-neck zip-up shirt that was black along the bottom and had mid-length sleeves. Her belladonna flower emblem was printed in off-white on the left side of her shirt. She wore black pants that had a vertical gray stripe on the outer side of each leg, and she wore a black belt with them. Attached to the inner side of the belt was a black, somewhat curved, banner-like piece of fabric that hung from the back and extended forward to her hips. On the underside of this was a thinner, longer, similarly-shaped purple piece of fabric. Her black high-heel boots came halfway up her calves and had a pair of belted straps across them. She still wore her black ribbons on her arms and her black bow overtop her cat ears.  
"This is it." Blake said.

"You sure?" Sun asked as Blake glared at him and started moving towards the entrance while unfastening her bow. "Y'know, I'm just gonna take your word for it."  
The two walked inside the building to a hallway filled with cases.  
"New recruits, keep to the right!" a man announced at the younger pair as they followed.

"I don't get it." Sun said, holding out the half-mask in his hand. "If you believe what you're doing is right, why hide who you are?"

"The masks are a symbol. Humanity wanted to make monsters out of us, so we chose to don the faces of monsters." Blake explained.  
"Grimm masks... That's kind of dark." Sun commented.  
"So was the guy who started it." Blake said, putting her mask on and walking onward.

"Always sunshine and rainbows with you..." Sun said, following her lead. The new recruits to the White Fang were moving in a line to the side of the stage, a mere few dozen compared to the hundreds of white-vested, black-hooded soldiers to their left and up above in the balconies. Blake and Sun looked around themselves when they stopped, and a fully-masked man with tattoos stood and started speaking before the large sheet emblazoned with the bloody wolf and claw marks.

"Thank you all for coming. For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, he is the key to obtaining what we have fought for so long!" the White Fang Lieutenant exclaimed. The dark pants and brown shoes stepped forward before the orange tip of a certain cane tapped on the stage. Smiling confidently at the crowd, despite the protests from said crowd, was Roman Torchwick.

"Thank you, thank you!" Roman said, waving mockingly. As he spoke, a woman with pink and brown hair and a familiar shark-like nukenin walked out from behind the stage. "Please, hold your applause!"  
"What's a **human** doing here?" an Antler Faunus in the crowd called out, pointing at Roman.

"I'm glad you asked, "Deerie"! Now, I'll be the first to admit, humans... are the _worst_." Roman said, saluting as an example. "Case in point. So, I understand why you would like to see us all locked away, or, better yet, _killed_."

"So, is he going somewhere with this?" Sun whispered, leaning over to Blake. The two had the demonic masks of the White Fang on their faces to conceal their identities.  
"_But_, before the claws come out, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I _all_ have a common enemy: the ones in control; the people pulling the strings; the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms!" Roman stated, the crowd changing their tune and starting to agree with him. "Government; military; even the schools: they're all to blame for your lot in life!" he exclaimed, letting the crowd cheer as the two students shared a look. "And they're all _pests_ taht need to be dealt with! Fortunately, I'm the best exterminator around... No offense to any rodents in the room." With a snap of his fingers, the curtain behind him fell, and the whole mass of Faunus applauded at the sight of what was behind the fallen curtain. Looming on the stage, was an enormous mech with various guns and the White Fang symbol emblazoned on one side of it. This was the yet-to-be-released Atlesian Paladin-290.

"Whoa, that's a big robot..." Sun said.  
"How did he get that?" Blake asked.

"As some of you might have heard, this right here..." Roman started, tapping the giant mech. "... is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world. And thanks to my "employer", we've managed to snag a few before they, uh, "hit the shelves". Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?" The White Fang's roaring applause was the response he got.

"We should get out of here." Blake whispered to Sun.

"Will all new recruits, please come forward!" The White Fang Lieutenant commanded.

"Welp!" Sun said as the line surged forward with the two having to follow.

-With Naruto, Yang, and Neptune-

Back at the Club, Junior placed his glass down as he sat behind the bar separating him from his interrogator and his ex-bouncer.

"I don't know!" Junior exclaimed.  
"You're losing your edge, dude." Naruto said before downing another drink.

"How can you not know?" Yang questioned.

"I haven't talked to him! I haven't even _seen_ him since the night you first came in here." Junior said, leaning over to point in Yang's face. "He paid up front, I lent him my men, and none of them ever. Came. Back."

"So where did they go?" Neptune asked, rushing to Yang's side to raise a question of his own.

"What kind of stupid question is that? They never came back!" Junior said before looking at the two blonds. "Who is this guy?"

"Don't worry about him; worry about _me_ if I don't find out what I want!" Yang said, pushing Neptune out of the way with one hand.

"I already told you everything! Torchwick hired my boys, and I guess he wasn't happy with them, which is _something I can relate to_!" Junior said, directing that last part at his own men, who grumbled and walked away in response.

"Come on, Naruto, Neptune." Yang said, turning from the bar and walking away.

"No can do, I've got my own investigation going on. I'll see you guys back at Beacon hopefully." Naruto said before heading off in a different direction than the two.

"We get everything we need?" Neptune asked, following Yang with his hands in his pockets.

"Well, we got everything we _can_. Hopefully the rest of the team is having better luck." Yang said.

-Outside The Club-

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Chouji asked.

"This is the place. My Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Switch Technique) doesn't lie." Ino said.

"This is all so troublesome..." Shikamaru stated.

"Why are we here again?" Chouji questioned.

"Because this is apparently the best place in the underworld to get information." Ino said.

"Hmm, troublesome..." Shikamaru said. The three continued walking towards the Club until they froze up as they saw a familiar face. One they had not seen in three years.

"... Naruto...?" Chouji called out, causing the blond fox Faunus to freeze up, his head mechanically turning to the source of the voice.

"Oh damn..." Naruto said. A small awkward silence permeated the area as the three Konoha representatives stared down the blond. This went on for a few seconds before Naruto jumped away, using his chakra to stick to the side of the building and escape to the roof.

"Wait!" Shikamaru called out, but was too late. "Troublesome..." he sighed before the Ino-Shika-Chou team leapt after Naruto.

-With Blake and Sun-

The White Fang was still cheering loudly as the recruits were marched to the stage, with Blake and Sun having no choice but to follow along.

"What are we going to do?!" Sun whispered to Blake.

"I'm thinking..." Blake said. Roman leaned on the robot smoking his cigar and laughing with the girl and Kisame before he zeroed in on the two, frowning.

"He sees us..." Sun said as he tried to smile and wave.

"He can't see us in the dark." Blake said, noticing the junction box on the wall. With that, Blake unsheathed Gambol Shroud, transforming it into a pistol, and shot at the box, making the lights go out for the whole building.

"Don't let them get away!" Roman exclaimed.

"Sun! The window!" Blake exclaimed.  
"Stop them!" Roman yelled.

Before the two student Huntsmen crashed through the window and started running as fast as they could, the mechanized sound of running power signaled the Atlesian Paladin's activation, and it crashed through the wall of the building in pursuit of the runaways, who leapt off of a car and managed to get on the roofs. The Paladin followed beside them on the street as Blake and Sun ran, jumped, and flipped from rooftop to rooftop.

Kisame watched this all unfold as a large menacing grin began to spread across his face. He grabbed Samehada and was about to chase after the two problematic Huntsmen-in-training but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Standing behind him was 'Madara' Uchiha.

"All in due time, Kisame." 'Madara' stated before he disappeared in a spiralling vortex.

"So you wouldn't happen to have... oh, I don't know... some form of **backup**?!" Sun asked amidst twirls in the air.

"On it!" Blake exclaimed, grabbing her Scroll and putting it to her ear as she continued to jump.

-With Weiss and Roshi-

Weiss and Roshi were seen leaving the Cross Continental Transmit tower's elevator when Weiss grabbed her own Scroll and listened to Blake's message.

"_Everyone! If you can hear me, we need back-_" Blake started.  
"_HEEEELLLLP!_" Sun exclaimed.

"Finally, some action!" Roshi exclaimed, fist pumping into the air. Weiss just rolled her eyes and started running out the door, a small smile on her face as she did so.

-With Ruby-

Ruby was still beside the dumpster, which was now boarded up to keep the rat imprisoned, staring at her Scroll.

"_Big robot! And it's big! Really big!_" Sun exclaimed.

"Oh, I am _not_ missing this!" Ruby exclaimed, running off to join the fight.

-With Yang and Neptune-

Yang was back on the motorcycle in her helmet and sunglasses with Neptune looking at the Scroll in her hand over her shoulder.

"_That Torchwick guy is in it! But not, like, it didn't eat him; he's, like, controlling it or something!_" Sun exclaimed over the Scroll-call.

"Where are you guys?" Yang asked. Right on cue, behind them, Blake and Sun could be seen running through the street with the Paladin hot on their heels before they disappeared from view.

"HURRYYYYY!" Sun exclaimed both in person and on the Scroll.

"I think that was them." Neptune stated.  
"Yeah, I got it." Yang said, putting the Scroll away and quickly circling her ride around - much to Neptune's alarm - and drove off to follow them.

-With Naruto-

Naruto leapt from rooftop to rooftop in an attempt to escape. Looking behind him, Naruto saw his old friends chasing after him in pursuit.

'I gotta find a way to throw them off...' Naruto thought before grabbing the weapon off his back. As he did so, he remembered how he came into possession of such weapon.

_Flashback Start_

_Naruto opened up the scroll that Tsunade gave him before leaving. As she said, there was about twenty thousand sharpened kunai and shuriken, a strange fox-like ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokubushu Butai) (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad) mask, and... a single bowl of ramen and a note!?_  
_"What the heck!?" Naruto exclaimed._

_"__**Just shut up and read the note!**__" Kurama exclaimed in an attempt to stop another one of Naruto's ramen rants._

_'Fine.' Naruto mentally replied, grumbling as he did so._

_'Dear Naruto,_

_I figured that the first thing you'd do is go for the ramen,_

_so I placed a seal on the scroll so that you can only get_

_one ramen a day. That way you won't go and demolish_

_it all in one go._

_Love,_

_Tsunade-baachan'_

_After reading the note, Naruto crossed his arms and pouted in a childish manner. Despite this, he knew that Tsunade was just looking out for him in some way. Placing the steaming bowl of ramen aside, Naruto dug through the rest of the scroll to see what was there. What he found was shocking. Something that was not in the scroll that Kakashi gave him._

_"__**...**__" Kurama said nothing, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the familiar weapon that his container held in his hands._

_"..." Naruto was silent as he held the knife-like weapon in his hands. Pocketing the weapon, Naruto dug through the scroll once more and found what he was looking for, the chakra metal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" he called out as three Narutos appeared in a puff of smoke. A look was exchanged between the three clones and the original before the three clones nodded, taking the chakra metal and going off elsewhere._

_"What're ya up to, Naruto-boy?" Pa asked as he approached the blond fox Faunus for the first time since Jiraiya's death._  
_"Just a little side project." Naruto stated. "After seeing all these strange weapons that, I will admit, are far beyond the weapons that we have in the Elemental Nations, I've decided to make one of my own." He pulled out a small notebook that he kept on his person and opened up to one of the middle pages. Showing its contents to Pa, the elder toad looked over its contents before his eyes widened._

_"What exactly is this?" Pa asked. The contents of the page revealed numerous drawings of strange, but similar weapons, that appeared to be a combination of a shakujo, a sasumata, a spear, and a sniper._

_"It's a weapon that Haran-jiji and I came up with, but never got around to finishing." Naruto explained. "Partly because of lack of time to, and also because of lack of necessary resources."_

_"How long until it's finished?" Pa asked._

_"With the help of clones, maybe a week, two weeks max." Naruto said._

_"Alright. In the mean time, it's time for you to perfect the taijutsu style of senjutsu." Pa said._

_Flashback End_

Naruto grabbed the hybrid weapon, which he dubbed _Nanamagari Dai Konran_ (Spiralling Maelstrom), off his back as it morphed into its sniper form and took a shot at the platform behind him so as to slow his old friends' pursuit, which it did as Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji landed on said platform as it fell down. Though this did not slow down their chase as they leapt off the platform with a chakra enhanced jump. Mentally cursing, Naruto then proceeded to fire off shots at the three, who in turn dodged the projectiles.

'What do I do, fox?' Naruto mentally asked.  
"**Wear them down before running again, kit.**" Kurama replied.

Following the advice of the fox, Naruto stopped running, morphed his weapon into it's sasumata form, and got into a defensive stance.

"Ino, Chouji! Attack patter Delta!" Shikamaru ordered, getting nods from his two teammates. Shikamaru strafed to the right, Ino strafed to the left, and Chouji went straight for Naruto.

"Baika no Jutsu (Multi-Size Technique)!" Chouji exclaimed as he turned into a human boulder. "Nikudan Sensha (Human Bullet Tank)!" he said as he charged at Naruto.

"Suiton: Hahonryū (Water Release: Tearing Torrent)!" Naruto exclaimed after quickly doing the three necessary handsigns. With that, water spiralled around Naruto's free hand and shot at Chouji, effectively sending the Akimichi back. The moment he did so, Naruto froze up.

"Shadow possession, complete." Shikamaru stated.

"Doton: Kengan no Jutsu (Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique)!" Ino exclaimed after doing the six hand seals, her right hand becoming encased in stone as she charged at Naruto with the intent of making physical contact.

Luck for Naruto, the Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique) is a shinobi's best friend. Moments before Ino hit Naruto, said blonde fox Faunus was replaced with a log in a puff of smoke. The trio, Chouji having rejoined the fight the moment after, did not have to look around for long to find the blond.

"Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!" Naruto exclaimed as the technique landed on Ino, sending the girl flying into the corresponding wall.

'What?! But I didn't see him use any hand seals for the Kawarimi!' Shikamaru thought. His thinking was interrupted when he had to dodge strike from Naruto's weapon, which was now in its shakujo form. After dodging a fifth strike, Naruto threw a smoke pellet down.

When the smoke cleared, Naruto was no longer in sight as the trio looked around for the blond.

"Ino." Shikamaru said.

"Right." Ino said, nodding her head as she used her sensory ability in an attempt to find Naruto. "I can't find him!" she said in surprise.

-With Blake and Sun-

Blake and Sun somehow managed to make it to the highways, jumping down into the busy street and continuing their escape by hopping on cars while the Paladin followed them by pushing vehicles out of the way. Sun paused to look at their pursuer's path of destruction.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed before leaping onto more cars, much to the anger of Roman inside the robot, his face surrounded by blue holographic screens.

Yang and Neptune were able to follow the mech suit on their ride, coming up next to it as it ran.  
"We've gotta slow it down!" Yang exclaimed.  
"Got it!" Neptune said, reaching for the gun on his back. Roman noticed the pair on his sensors and crashed into a multitude of cars with the Paladin's strong bulk, sending them flying towards his chasers.

"Hold on!" Yang said as she swerved, leaning her bike to the side in avoidance of flying debris.

"Wuh-oh..." Neptune exclaimed, flailing around in a panic. Back on two wheels again, Neptune unslung his weapon and aimed it at the Paladin, sparks flying off of it before several bolts of blue electricity shot at the massive mech, causing Roman to grimace from the force of the attacks.

Switching strategies, Neptune flipped the gun and it grew a shaft and an energy blade at the end, then jumped from Yang's bike as the spear's head began to split in three and drove it into the top of the Paladin. Sun and Blake paused in their car-hopping to look back.  
"Neptune, hang on!" Sun exclaimed. Neptune tried his best, but the mech kept bucking and threatened to make him fall. Closing his eyes, Sun smashed his palms together, and from the golden Aura around him, his Semblance created two glowing outlines that copied their creator, leaping off and going back over the tops of vehicles to collide into the Paladin's front. They exploded into blinding light upon contact to let Sun leap forward with his staff held high, but Roman finally turned enough to send Neptune flying off and knocking into his leader, sending both of them off the highway.

-With Naruto-

Naruto was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, having suppressed his chakra to avoid being found by Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji, when he suddenly and violently sneezed in midair, causing him to loose his focus and slam into the solid concrete of the top floor of a building.

"**What the heck was that kit?!**" Kurama yelled.

'I have the strangest feeling...' Naruto thought. "Somebody just ripped off my signature jutsu..." Shaking his head, Naruto continued jumping when his Scroll rang. Opening up the Scroll, Naruto saw it was Fu and Han.

"_Naruto, we're at the agreed upon location. Where are you and Roshi?_" Fu asked.

"I just had a run-in with a few _old_ _friends_. I'm heading there right now." Naruto said.  
"_I may be a while..._" Roshi said over the Scroll-call.

"_What did you do, Roshi...?_" Han asked.

"_I didn't do anything! I swear!_" Roshi said in defense.

"_Blake! I'm in position!_" Weiss said in the background of Roshi's side of the Scroll-call.

"_What was that?_" Fu asked.

"_Well..._" Roshi started.  
"_Please don't tell me..._" Han stated.  
"_I sort of tagged along with Team RWBY and long story short, we have a giant robot that is meant to come out next year being piloted by that Torchwick guy chasing after us._" Roshi said. "_Ehehehehe..._"

"_You have got to be kidding me._" Han said.

"Where are you, Roshi?" Naruto asked.

"_We're somewhere along Y-89 heading southwest!_" Roshi replied.

"Alright. Change of plans. We meet up with Roshi and do our best to assist Team RWBY." Naruto stated.

"Hai!" the three other members of Team RHFN chorused before the Scroll-call ended. Putting the Scroll away, Naruto focused on getting to Ruby and the others. Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared a few kilometers ahead of him, causing Naruto to stop dead in his tracks to avoid charging through the strange portal. A strange mysterious man wearing a black cloak and an orange spiral mask with one eye hole appeared. What caught Naruto's attention was the red clouds along the cloak.

'Akatsuki!' Naruto thought with wide eyes.

-With Team RWBY and Roshi-

Moments after the Scroll-call, Weiss jumped up and twirled over the highway and landed in the middle of the road, holding Myrtenaster at the approaching Roman. He smiled as his robot charged the girl, but Weiss spun and plunged her blade into the ground, summoning a circle of ice across the pavement that caused the Paladin to slip and crash, actually flying over the young Huntress and falling off the ramp, landing further down before Ruby, already having her Crescent Rose out in scythe form.

The Paladin stood back up, and the rest of Team RWBY and Roshi fell beside Ruby to take up positions. Roman chuckled, moving the robot slowly towards the girls.

"Freezer Burn!" Ruby exclaimed as she and Blake jumped back out of the way as Weiss performed her same ice-circle trick, but backed out of Yang's way when she jumped into the air a smashed the epicenter with her Ember Celica, creating a wave of mist that surrounded Roman.

Immediately, the Paladin activated its laser sensors to make up for the lost sight, but it barely saw the afterimage of Blake and narrowly missed the dashing Yang. A gun managed to fire at the area between Blake and Yang, but out from the blast came Ruby, who slashed the metal with her blade, causing it to falter.

"Checkmate!" Ruby yelled. Blake and Weiss went in this time, each girl going for the feet until Weiss jumped up and stabbed a sensor before leaping off of a white glyph. Roman lifted the Paladin's foot to crush Blake, but Weiss summoned another glyph under her teammate to launch her backwards before the crushing blow could land. Roman growled and fired off the missiles, but Weiss and Blake flipped backwards as the explosions merely hit where they were.

Finally, Weiss jumped up too high, and Roman fired a double energy blast at her. Myrtenaster absorbed the damage, but Weiss was thrown back, so she casts a beam of light in midair from her weapon to the ground under Blake, forming a yellow clockwork circle that was absorbed into the Faunus girl, allowing her to slice through each launched missile with ease in a flurry of super-fast slashes. Weiss flew through the air, fully expecting to land on the ground in a large impact, but was caught by a pair of arms.

"Mind if I drop in?" Roshi asked, holding Weiss in his arms as he landed back on the ground.

"Put me down." Weiss ordered.

"Whatever you say, Princess Permafrost." Roshi said before placing Weiss down on the ground.

-With Naruto-

"So this is the Kyuubi Jinchūriki." 'Madara' said.

"Who are you?!" Naruto yelled.

"I am no one." 'Madara' said. "Now why don't you just give yourself up peacefully, and then all your pain will vanish."

"Why don't you go serve yourself on a silver platter to a pack of ravenous Beowolves!" Naruto said, getting into his incomplete Frog Kata stance. "There's no way I'll just give myself to the Akatsuki!"  
"I guess we'll be doing this the hard way then." 'Madara' said. Naruto growled before charging at 'Madara', his fist extended to punch the man, only for his attack to pass right through the mysterious Akatsuki member.

"What?" Naruto questioned.

"Foolish boy, you cannot defeat me." 'Madara' said, ripping a nearby pipe out and slamming it into Naruto's left side.

"Gah!" Naruto cried out. He gritted his teeth and got up before charging at 'Madara' again, only for the same thing to happen.  
"**Kit! I have an idea!**" Kurama exclaimed.

'I'm listening...' Naruto mentally said.

"All your efforts are futile." 'Madara' stated. Naruto just growled and charged at 'Madara', forming a Rasengan in one hand as he did so. 'Madara', having decided to finish this fight, charged forward as well at Naruto. The distance between them became meters away before Naruto pulled out an all-so-familiar kunai that 'Madara' instantly recognized. Naruto then threw the Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) kunai at 'Madara', watching it pass through his body as time seemed to slow down for 'Madara'. At the last second before the two made contact, Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash, much to the surprise of 'Madara'. Not a second later, Naruto reappeared above the Hiraishin kunai he threw, the Rasengan still in hand as he grabbed the kunai he just threw whilst simultaneously smashing the spiralling ball of energy into 'Madara'. This time, the attack made physical contact with 'Madara' as he was slammed into the ground.

'How?! How could I have fallen for the same trick twice?!' 'Madara' thought as he lay there on the cracked rooftop.

"Heh... It worked..." Naruto said, slightly panting as he did so. Gripping his father's kunai in his hand, he was about to impale it through the mysterious Akatsuki member when the same vortex that brought him here appeared around 'Madara'. Naruto had to jump back to avoid being caught in the vortex and watched as 'Madara' disappeared.

'Dammit! He got away!' Naruto thought.

"**But you at least found out his ability's weak spot.**" Kurama said. "**And you managed to use your father's jutsu.**"

'Yeah. There's that.' Naruto thought before focusing on heading over to regroup with the rest of his team and Team RWBY.

-With Team RWBY and Roshi-

"Ladybug!" Ruby exclaimed, running into the fray as she shot herself forward and cutting the robot's legs, then turning as Blake aimed herself at the giant's feet as well. They both dashed forward and attacked at the same time, circling each other around the Paladin with each strike until they both launched themselves into the air and coming down together on the shoulder, cutting off the left arm entirely.

Yang didn't waste a second, jumping onto the Paladin's back and punching the top with fiery shotgun blasts. Roman was knocked around in the cabin, but seeing as he couldn't reach her with his remaining mechanical arm, he ran backwards through two columns and leaving her embedded in a third before backing away and turning towards her. Just as she is falling down, the remaining arm extended a closed fist, but didn't reach her.

Sticking to the wall and blocking the fist with their weapons was Han and Fu. With their combined efforts, the two members of Team RHFN pushed the robotic fist away before steam started coming off of Han while Fu picked up Yang and brought her over to the others.

"What's happening to Han?" Yang asked.

"Don't worry, this is just one of his abilities." Fu explained. "His bijuu gave him immense control over steam."

Han jumped forward, his fist becoming covered in steam as he did so.

"Funsuiken (Erupting Propulsion Fist)!" Han exclaimed as his steam-covered fist impacted against the Paladin, causing it to go flying and its remaining arm to tear off whilst it crashed into a pillar. The armless robot got back up, Han's steam being replaced with a dark red shroud that had the outline of a single tail before splitting into two tails.

"Dark Horse!" Ruby exclaimed. Blake threw her Gambol Shroud out for Hand to catch. After catching the weapon, Blake pulled on the weapon and began to swing the red shrouded horse Faunus around for a final hit to the robot. Roman, however, stepped out of the way just in time to avoid complete destruction.

"We have to slow it down!" Ruby said.

"And _how_ do you propose we do that?" Weiss questioned.

"Ice Flower!" Ruby exclaimed. The two girls twirled their weapons so they both pointed at Roman, Weiss creating a series of glyphs in front of the scythe's sniper barrel, and a single shot through the circles created a dazzling spiral of energy that created large icicles upon impact with the Paladin. Ruby continued to shoot as Weiss froze the fire, and as the ice completely enveloped the robot's body, Blake swung Han around in a circle one more time, but with Roman unable to move, the Paladin was hit by the speed and power of Han's foot.

"Fungōkyaku (Erupting Strong Foot)!" Han exclaimed as his foot impacted against the frozen robot, causing it to fly into the air before crashing down in a hundred pieces and a defeated criminal.

"_Just_ got this thing cleaned..." Roman said as he got up, slightly dazed but unharmed, as he inspected the damage while brushing himself off. He looked up just in time to see Han, still covered with his two tailed chakra cloak, throw a steaming punch at the defenseless thief, but he's saved at the last instant when Kisame appeared, his large sword drawn as it absorbed the chakra cloak. Standing next to him was the same two-toned girl from before, her pink umbrella opened and hanging over her shoulder.

"Ladies... Jinchūriki... Ice Queen..." Roman said, addressing the group in front of him.

"Hey!" Weiss exclaimed, feeling slightly ticked off at the nickname. Han, Roshi, and Fu's eyes narrowed and glared at Roman as if to try to burn a hole through his head using their minds.

"Always a pleasure! Neo, if you would..." Roman said. The pink-and-brown girl curtsied her enemies with a bow while Kisame just flipped them off, ticking off Yang as she charged forth with fists raised to strike the trio, only to break their image as if made out of a mirror and turned just in time to see them escape in a Bullhead. More specifically, Kisame flipping them off with a large grin on his face.

"So I guess he got a new henchman..." Yang said.

"And he's now in leagues with the Akatsuki..." Fu added.  
"Yeah, I guess she really made our plans... _fall apart_!" Weiss said jokingly. Ruby giggled, and Blake, Fu, and Han started walking away.

"Boo, Princess Permafrost, boo..." Roshi said.  
"No. Just... no." Yang said.

"What- But, you do it!" Weiss exclaimed.

"There's a time and a place for jokes." Yang stated.

"Was this not it?" Weiss asked.

"No, it just wasn't very good." Roshi said as he and Yang followed Blake.

"Well, at least I'm trying!" Weiss said.  
"Wait... Where are Sun, Neptune, and Naruto?" Ruby asked.

-With Sun, Neptune, and Naruto-

Sun, Neptune, and Naruto were seen sitting on the stools of a small open-bar restaurant that went by the name, "A Simple Wok Noodle House". Sun and Neptune occupied the middle stools while Naruto sat on the far left one, their weapons leaning on the counter as they ate their plates of noodles with Edward Elric behind the counter.

"They're probably fine, right?" Neptune asked.

"Probably." Sun and Naruto replied at the same time. His question having been answered, Neptune turned back to his noodles, the other two doing the same as the three ate in silence.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Naruto's Date With Melanie and Miltia-

Naruto stretched and gave a sigh as his work day was finished. He was working out of the Club as their bouncer for a few months now. Hey, he figured if he could get work, he'd take work. On his way out, Naruto saw the twin sisters, Melanie and Miltia approach him.

"Hey Melanie, hey Miltia. What's up?" Naruto asked.

"We want you to take us out on a date." the two girls said at the same time.  
"I'm sorry- What?" Naruto said.

"We want you to take us out on a date." Melanie said.  
"Erm... Any particular reason why?" Naruto asked.

"Because you're cute." Miltia replied.

"And if you don't, we'll just release this video we have of you." Melanie stated, holding up her scroll and pressing the play button, revealing a rather embarrassing video of Naruto dancing around in his underwear.

"... How did you get that...?" Naruto asked nervously.

"That's not what you should worry about." Miltia said.

"What you should worry about-" Melanie started.

"-Is what you'll be wearing-" Miltia continued.

"-And where you'll take us-" Melanie continued.

"-On our date." Melanie and Miltia finished in sync.

"... And I have your word that this won't get out if I do?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes." the two girls replied.

"... Alright." Naruto conceded.

-Three Days Later-

Naruto walked through the doors to the warehouse he lived in, his body riddled in scratches, scorch marks, lipstick, and dust. He had originally wore a black suit jacket and orange tie, but the jacket was now clutched in his hand and the tie was loosened, the top buttons of his white dress shirt having been unbuttoned. As he walked over to the makeshift bed that he slept on, Haran watched him slump down onto the bed in a heap with a look of amusement.

"So..." Haran started. "How did it go?"  
"Shut up..." Naruto mumbled. "Just shut up."

The next day, if one were to see the blond haired fox Faunus, they would find a surprise. Naruto appeared to be exhausted and comically crying, having spent more than 650,000 Lien in one night.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAANNNNDDD DONE! Yes, Melanie and Miltia have gone on a date with Naruto. I had to get in a single NaruHarem moment. On a side note, have you guys seen the recent RWBY episode? I find it amusing and reasonable that Oobleck would be involved. One, because I find it very funny. And two, so that Oobleck's character will be more developed. I've seen this kind of thing happen before, especially in Naruto Shippuden.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	20. Chapter 20- Extracurricular

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeelllloooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I hope that the promised invasion event in RWBY will happen soon. Also, Zwei is adorable (*Spoiler if you haven't seen the latest episode of RWBY*). And on a second note, Naruto's new weapon, Nanamagari Dai Konran. I will try my best to make a picture of what the weapon looks like, but... my drawing softwares are limited to a non-touchscreen computer and a Kindle Fire app, both don't really produce the images I envision in my mind. If any of you guys know of a good, free/cheap drawing software, please please PLEASE give me the name of it.**

**And on a side note, today's my birthday! Happy birthday to me! Tomorrow I'm going for my driver's permit test, and I'm both excited and nervous. Wish me luck!**

* * *

**And Now To Review Your Reviews:**

**artley9- I thank you, good sir/ma'am! YOU have just given me a great idea that involves the latest episode of RWBY! Mwahahahaha!**

**samgreen90- Yes, Naruto still has the weapons from before, he just has a new one. One that fits more into the RWBY universe and one that so many people have requested for Naruto to have (Hybrid Weapons FTW!).**

**Karlos1234ify- I'm curious as to what Oobleck's weapon and fighting style is as well. And also to the reason as to why he drinks so much coffee/is so hyper all the time, but I'm just gonna chalk that down to be explained in what I like to call "Character Development Filler Episodes". As for Naruto's luck, luck runs both ways. Meaning that he has both good luck and bad luck. In this case, good luck because he scored a date with two hot twins at the same time, and bad luck because of losing so much money in one night.**

**OBSERVER01- Don't worry, I have a clear fail-safe plan for coming up with new jutsus in Naruto's arsenal. I am what I like to call a "searcher", meaning that I will literally search every inch of the internet until I find what exactly I'm looking for. Lucky for me, there is a list of various jutsus seen in Naruto on the Naruto wiki. In fact, every single jutsu that you've seen in the story so far can be found on the Naruto wiki.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- If you look closely, the fight between 'Madara' and Naruto is near identical to the ending of 'Madara's' fight with Minato during the Kyuubi attack. And with Naruto's luck, he somehow used the Hiraishin Level 2. And you're forgiven. I apologize as well for not recognizing sarcasm, but I'm no mind reader.**

* * *

**And Now, On To The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(From Shadows)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Three Days Later-

"-That is all for today. And remember, the dance is this weekend. But you all have your first mission on Monday. I will not take any excuses." Glynda stated as the bell rang, indicating the end of the school day. Sakura and Sasuke watched Naruto and his team file out chatting alongside Team RWBY.

"We're gonna have to face him sooner or later..." Sakura said.

"Hn. I'm just dreading the moment." Sasuke said as the duo exited the classroom.

-Outside The Classroom-

Outside, Sun stood with the rest of his team, which consisted of Neptune and two other men. The first consisted of a man with red hair that came down over his right eye, with the left side of his head being shaved. There were a number of red markings around his left eye. He wore a green earring on his left ear, and had a red coat draped over his left side. On his right hand, he wore a fingerless glove, and on his right bicep, he had a gray band. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and light gray pants. He also wore a pair of long, brown, laced boots. Around his waist, he wore a slightly slanted gray belt.

The second person was a teenage boy with dark skin and yellow eyes. His hair was also sage green and he appeared to have tattoos on his chest and around his neck. He wore a white and green asymmetrical long coat with his chest completely bare under it. His jacket also had a golden pauldron on his right shoulder and a golden cuff around his left wrist. He also wore a pair of dark pants with a yellow belt.

"Hey, Blake!" Sun said as he saw said cat Faunus. "You uh, doing okay?"

"_I'm fine_." Blake said, shutting her book that she was reading.  
"So I hear that there's this dance going on this weekend, and it sounds pretty lame, but you and me, I'm thinking, not _as_ lame, huh?" Sun said.

"What?" Blake asked.

"The dance! This weekend! You wanna go, or what?" Sun asked.

"I don't have time for a _stupid_ dance. I thought _you_ of all people would get that." Blake stated, walking away past her team as Sun sunk from his rejection.

-With Team RHFN-

"Miso!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Beef!" Roshi argued.

"Chicken!" Han stated.

"Shrimp!" Fu added.

"I'm telling you guys! Miso is the best kind of ramen there is!" Naruto stated.

"As if! The best kind of ramen is beef!" Roshi retorted.

"You're both wrong. It's chicken ramen!" Han said.  
"Boys, please. The best kind of ramen is shrimp ramen!" Fu stated.

This argument somehow carried on the rest of the way back to their dorm. When they finally got back to their dorm room, things simmered down as the four got settled in. It was about half an hour later that this peace was disturbed.

Naruto was just about finishing the last of his homework; yes, he has homework, its still a school that he goes to; when a lone kunai flew through the open window of the room. Attached to the kunai appeared to be a dangling dark blue cloth. Curiosity got to the better of Naruto as he approached the weapon that was embedded in the wall, the rest of his team watching cautiously. Grabbing the dark blue cloth, Naruto flipped it over and froze.

"What is it, Naruto?" Fu asked.

"It's nothing." Naruto quickly said, pocketing the kunai and the cloth and closing the window. After doing so, Naruto went to the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

-Classroom 4-C, West Wing, Beacon Academy-

Naruto walked into the dimly lit classroom, holding the same dark blue cloth from before in his hands. Getting a better look at it, the dark blue cloth had a metal plate sown on to one side. And etched into the metal plate was a familiar leaf-like symbol. The door closed behind him as Naruto walked into the center of the room, his hair overshadowing his eyes as he looked down.

"I certainly didn't expect to see you here, teme..." Naruto said. "But after seeing Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji, I knew that we would eventually encounter one another..."

"Hn..." Sasuke said, stepping out of the shadows to confront his ex-teammate.

"There's someone else here with us, isn't there." Naruto stated. The moment he did so, Sakura stepped out of the shadows. "Ha! All we need is Kakashi-sensei and we have ourselves a Team 7 reunion!"

"Naruto..." Sakura said.  
"Save it, Sakura." Naruto said, causing Sakura to wince slightly at his tone. "There's nothing you or the teme can do that will ever make me go back to Konoha."

"I'm not here about that, Naruto." Sasuke said.

"Then why are you here, teme?" Naruto asked.

"I... I wanted to thank you." Sasuke stated.

"... Can you run that by me again?" Naruto asked.

"I said I wanted to thank you for saving me from falling into the darkness." Sasuke said.

"... How painful was it for you to admit that?" Naruto questioned.  
"I admitted this very begrudgingly." Sasuke replied.

"Humph, still the same brooding duck-haired teme, I see." Naruto smiled before frowning slightly. "But just because you admitted that does not mean that you or Sakura are forgiven." he started walking towards the door.

"Naruto, wait!" Sakura exclaimed.  
"No. I'm done talking to you two. Now if you excuse me-" Naruto started, halfway through the doorway. "-I have somewhere I need to be." And with that, he slammed the door shut, leaving the two Konoha shinobi to bask in the silence that permeated the room.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

"You _what_?" Blake questioned.

"We want you to go to the dance." Ruby stated.

"That's ridiculous." Blake stated.

"Blake, we're worried about you. This investigation is starting to mess with your head." Yang said.  
"You _can't_ sleep, you _hardly_ eat, and to be honest, your _grades_ have been suffering." Weiss said, counting the facts on her fingers.

"You think I care about _grades_?" Blake questioned, shrugging her shoulders and gesturing out the window. "People's _lives_ are at stake!"  
"We _know_, and we're also trying to figure out what Torchwick is up to." Yang said, placing her hand on Blake's as she lowered it.

"Thanks to you and Sun, we know that they're operating somewhere outside of southeast Vale." Ruby stated.

"_And_, the Schnee company records singled out Vale as the primary _target_ for Dust robberies over the last few months." Weiss added.

"Don't forget about their missing military tech too." Yang stated.

"But there's still unanswered questions!" Blake exclaimed.

"Blake, you won't be able to find anything if you can't even keep your eyes open!" Ruby stated.

"All we're asking is that you take it easy for _one day_." Yang said.  
"It will be fun! Yang and I will make sure of it." Weiss stated.

"Yeah! We're planning the whole event!" Yang exclaimed, pumping her fist which caused the bed to bounce Blake.

"_Excuse _me?" Blake questioned.

"Team CFVY (Coffee)'s away mission lasted _quite_ longer than expected." Weiss said.

"So, Weiss and I decided to pick up where they left off. And now we can make sure you can have the perfect night." Yang said.

"And once it's all over, we'll return for out search, rested and ready." Weiss stated.  
"So what do ya think?" Ruby asked.  
"I think this is a colossal waste of time." Blake said, walking away from the group and opening the dorm door. "I'll be in the library." she said before walking out the door.

"Great." Yang said.  
"She can't keep going on like this." Weiss said.

Before the conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door. Weiss approached the door and opened it to find Jaune at the door with a guitar.

"_Weiss!_" Jaune sung. Weiss slammed the door in his face before he could continue. "Oh, come on, open the door! I promise not to sing." Weiss opened the door. "I _lied!_ Weiss Schu-_nee_, will you accompany _me_, to the dance _on_... _Sunday!_"

"Are you done?" Weiss asked.  
"Yes?" Jaune shrugged.

"No." Weiss said, shutting the the door in his face. Turning around, she saw the other staring at her. "What?"  
Both Yang and Ruby stood precariously.

"And that is why they call you the Ice Queen." Yang said before Ruby finally collapsed.

"All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name. Besides, I already have a date in mind." Weiss stated.

"Date or no date, none of this will matter if we can't get Blake to go." Ruby stated. Suddenly, there was a knocking sound coming from the window. Ruby hesitantly approached the window and opened it to find Naruto standing outside, a large grin on his face.

"Hey Ruby! Can I talk with you for a moment?" Naruto asked before pulling Ruby out the window with him, closing said window as he did so. As he stuck to the wall using chakra, the two young students realized just how close they were and blushed slightly at the close proximity. Naruto coughed before walking up the side of the wall, placing Ruby on her feet as soon as they got up to the rooftop.

"Soooooo, what do you need to talk with me about?" Ruby asked, bouncing on her feet slightly as she crossed her hands behind her back.

"Well, there's this dance that's coming up on Sunday..." Naruto stated.

"Aaaaaannnnd...?" Ruby questioned, hoping what she thought he was going to say was what he would say.

"And, well... I was thinking..." Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah...?" Ruby said.

"Do you... wanna go to the dance together?" Naruto asked shyly.

"Yes! I mean, yeah, sure." Ruby said. Mentally she was leaping with joy that he asked her to. "Does that mean we're, you know... "together" together...?"

"Well... do you wanna be "together" together?" Naruto asked.

"Yes!" Ruby said. The moment she did so, the two shared a long kiss, both melting into the embrace of the other. Neither of them knew who initiated the kiss, only that their crush had finally accepted their feelings. When they eventually broke the kiss, Naruto and Ruby both smiled and stayed in the embrace they were in.

"No orange suit." Ruby said playfully, causing Naruto to pout childishly.

"Orange tie?" Naruto asked.

"Deal." Ruby conceded, picking the lesser of two evils. Having reached a compromise, Naruto perked up and grinned before picking Ruby up bridal style and jumping off the roof with a chakra enhanced leap, causing Ruby to let out a yelp in surprise. Naruto's grin grew wider before he landed on a nearby tree branch, pausing for half a second before jumping over to the window he grabbed his girlfriend from. Opening it up with a kick, Naruto placed Ruby inside on her feet before giving her a chaste kiss on the lips and leaping out the window.

Ruby watched him leave with a smile on her face before she felt an eerie feeling. Turning to her sister, Ruby gulped as she saw Yang having a certain look on her face. One that screamed "I am going to tease the crap out of you."

-With Jaune, Pyrrha and Naruto, Later That Day-

That night, Naruto and Jaune sparred in the middle of the Emerald Forest, Pyrrha acting as a referee. Jaune ducked under a swipe from Naruto's Kubikiribōchō and came up with a slash from Crocea Mors, only for that to be blocked by Naruto's tanto, which he held in a reverse grip. Naruto swung Kubikiribōchō once more, Jaune strafed backwards and tried to go on the defensive, only to have to dodge another slash from the massive blade. This pattern continued for half a minute before Jaune took a wrong step and fell flat on his back. As he got up, using his hands to support him, Jaune saw Kubikiribōchō a mere centimeters away from his face. He stared at the large cleaver with slightly wide eyes before it retracted from its close proximity to his face. Replacing Kubikiribōchō was an extended hand.

"Well done! Your swordplay's improved immensely." Pyrrha said as Naruto helped Jaune to his feet.

"You certainly have been getting better in these last few sessions." Naruto stated.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys." Jaune said gratefully. A small burning sensation was felt across his cheek. He placed his hand to the source and saw that his hand was covered in a small amount of blood.

"Can you go get some bandages for Jaune, Pyrrha?" Naruto asked, getting a nod from Pyrrha before she left. As soon as she did, Naruto turned back to Jaune. "Something's off with you. You seem a bit unfocused."

"It's dumb." Jaune said.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"It's... Weiss." Jaune said.

"What about her?" Naruto questioned.

"I asked her to the dance and she shot me down." Jaune said, giggling halfheartedly. "Big surprise, right?"

"There's plenty of fish in the sea." Naruto said, patting Jaune on the back. "Besides, Pyrrha seems like she's got a thing for you."

"Pyrrha? I don't think she likes me like that." Jaune stated.

"How about a friendly wager then?" Naruto asked. "You ask Pyrrha to go to the dance with you, and if she says yes, you have to wear a dress."

"Alright, you got yourself a deal." Jaune said, shaking Naruto's hand. "And if she says no, _you_ have to wear a dress."

"Wait." Naruto said. "We need to make this a gentleman's bet."

"I'm back!" Pyrrha said, coming back with a bandage.

"Great. Pyrrha, can you come over here for a second. We need to make a gentleman's bet official." Naruto said.

"Say no more, I understand." Pyrrha said, placing her hand on the frozen handshake between the two blonds. "A gentleman's bet!"  
"Huzzah!" Naruto and Jaune exclaimed.

-With Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury-

"And finally, Pyrrha Nikos." Emerald stated.

"Ah, the invincible girl." Cinder said.

"She's smart, but I wouldn't say invincible." Mercury stated.

"_Do tell_." Cinder said.

"Her semblance is Polarity. But you'd never know by just-" Emerald said, but started coughing violently. Cinder and Mercury rushed up to her side, concern riddled on both of their faces.

"Are you alright, Emerald?" Mercury asked.

"Cough cough! I'm fine... _it_ is just acting up again..." Emerald said as she was pushed onto the bed by Cinder. Strange black symbols started appearing on her stomach as she coughed violently again. Cinder looked to Mercury, who nodded his head at the silent command as he rushed to one of the nearby cabinets and opened it up, revealing at least a dozen or so paper tags. Grabbing one of said tags, Mercury quickly handed it to Cinder, said woman placing the tag on Emerald's stomach. Ten seconds later, the tag started burning up, at the same time the black symbols began to fade until they were all gone the moment the tag disintegrated. A sigh of relief escaped Cinder's lips as she looked at Emerald, who had fallen into a peaceful slumber.

"_It_ has been acting up more frequently as of lately..." Mercury said with concern.  
"I know that. We're also running low on those tags as well." Cinder stated. Emerald had something that acted up every now and then. At first, it would be months at a time before another incident happened, but what was once seven to eleven months at a time slowly became five to six, then two to three, and now it was becoming a monthly thing. It would only be a matter of time before it would turn into weeks. Or even worse, days at a time. "What are we going to do...?" she asked worriedly. Silence overtook the group before minutes passed. Suddenly, Mercury perked up.

"I got it!" Mercury said.  
"What is it?" Cinder asked.  
"Remember the name of the guy who made the tags for us?" Mercury questioned.

"It... it was Harold...? No, Haran. Haran Uzumaki! That was it!" Cinder said in recollection.

"Well, there just so happens to be a student here that goes by the name Naruto _Uzumaki_." Mercury stated, catching Cinder's attention. "Maybe he's somehow related to Haran."

"It's the only hope we have." Cinder said before looking back at Emerald with worry.

Chapter End

* * *

Side Story Start

The Red Monkey Trailer

-Schnee Dust Company Factory 073353, Production Floor-

The factory was near quiet, save for the humming sound of the lights hanging above and the clatter of machinery. A midnight storm raged on outside the factory as a swift movement was seen in the shadows, constantly avoiding the light. The robotic defensive guards that patrolled the factory ignored the disturbance, making it out to be just the wind before going back to guarding the area.

_**(Play Lucifer by Jay Z)**_

As soon as the nearest robot turned around the corner, the same shadow from before approached a nearby crate. Despite the dim lighting, the shadowy figure was seen.

It was a red haired monkey Faunus wearing a red high-collared sleeveless shirt, over which he wore a brown shoulder pad on his left shoulder with half a dark brown cloak covering his left arm. His hybrid pistol-knives were sheathed along his waist, the holsters strapped to two black crooked crossed belts. He also wore black cargo pants with multiple pockets, black steel-toed boots, black fingerless gloves, and a dark red mask to complete his outfit. This was Roshi Yamazarurokku, Jinchūriki to the Yonbi, Son Goku.

"Heh heh..." Roshi mumbled to himself, rubbing his hands together before opening the crate in front of him. Inside the crate was various fire Dust items, ranging from crystals to bullets. "Jackpot..."

Before he could proceed to make off with the crate, an alarming sound was heard. Literally, an alarm went off that caught Roshi's attention.

"Intruder detected in Sector 27-D!" A robotic voice exclaimed. Soon enough, Roshi saw one of those fancy robots pointing its gun-arms at him. "Identify yourself."

"Hmm..." Roshi said, going into a thinking position before snapping his fingers. "How about... no...?"

He was gone long before the bullets flew by where he once was. Only this time, the robots were able to track him. Roshi jumped atop the large piles of crates, weaving in and out of various incoming bullets. One of the robots jumped up onto the crates, replacing its arms with two blades and charging at Roshi. Said red haired Faunus kept on running, pulling out the two gun-knives sheathed at his waist and slashing at the robot, leaving an "X" shaped scar while Roshi jumped ahead as the robot fell apart at the slash marks.

"Alerting authorities." One of the robots called out.

"Damn, that escalated fast." Roshi stated as he momentarily stopped jumping to catch his breath. He only paused for a second though, as he had to continue dodging bullets.

_**(Pause at 0:34)**_

-Schnee Dust Company Factory 073353, Overview Floor-

A young woman sighed as she tuned out the dull lecture of the man before her. The woman was dressed in a pale blue bolero jacket, which she wore over a similarly colored thigh-length dress with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero was red and the sleeves turned blue as they got closer to her wrists. The back of the bolero displayed the Schnee crest, which bore a resemblance to a symmetrical snowflake. She wore an apple-shaped necklace along with a pair of thin rectangular earrings. She wore white, heeled wedge boots that went to mid-calf, also lined with red on the inside. Her long white hair was pulled back in an off-center ponytail, at the base of which was a small tiara at resembled icicles. She had a pale complexion, ice blue eyes, and a crooked scar down her left eye. A strange rapier hung at her waist. This was Weiss Schnee, youngest daughter of Jack Schnee and heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. She was here on the orders of her father to check on one of the local factories, which bored her to no end.

Her musings were broken by the sound of an alarm going off.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, Ms. Schnee." The man stated.

"Sir! There seems to be a thief in the factory!" Another man exclaimed as he ran up to his supervisor.

"Alert the authorities!" The first man ordered.

"Already have, sir. They wont be here in time!" The second man stated.

"Let me handle this." Wiess stated.

"But Ms. Schnee-" The first man started.

"I said I will handle this." Weiss said, pulling out her weapon and going off after the thief.

-With Roshi-

_**(Resume at 0:34)**_

Roshi weaved in and out of the robots that blocked his path, destroying a few of them occasionally. He looked around for any way of escape and found a small open window.

"Yes! Just what I needed!" Roshi exclaimed as he jumped atop one of the robots heads and used it to push off and jump through the window. Rain pounded against his coat as Roshi kept running until he came across a small bridge. A lamppost was to his right and train tracks were under the bridge.

"Just where do you think you're going?" a voice called out. Roshi turned around to see Weiss standing a few meters away from him, her rapier drawn as she took a battle stance.

"Well, Snow White-" Roshi started, causing Weiss to get a tick mark at the nickname. "-I'm going... here!" he yelled before jumping on a passing train. Weiss's eyes followed the retreating form of Roshi before she snapped out of her stupor and hopped on top of the train to pursue the monkey Faunus.

"Get back here you no-good-thief!" Weiss exclaimed.

"I'm not a _no-good-thief_! A no-good-thief would get caught! I'm a _great_ thief!" Roshi yelled.

Before their argument could continue, a dozen Faunus wearing strange white masks appeared, each having a White Fang insignia on their clothing.

"White Fang! I knew you were in leagues with these scoundrels!" Weiss exclaimed.  
"What the heck are you talking about? These people aren't with me!" Roshi yelled over the sound of the train.

"So they aren't a part of your plan?" Weiss asked.

"You mean they aren't a part of yours?" Roshi questioned.

"No." Weiss said.

"We were just going to assault the train." One of the White Fang members stated. "But having the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company appear? We'll be heroes even if we bring you back dead!" Weiss's eyes narrowed as she raised Myrtenaster. "You! Fellow Faunus! Will you join us?" the White Fang member asked, pointing his sword towards Roshi.

"No, I'd rather help the damsel in distress." Roshi said.

"I'm not a damsel in distress!" Weiss yelled.

"Shut up! I'm trying to save you!" Roshi exclaimed.

"I don't need any saving!" Weiss countered.

"Let's just kill them while they bicker!" Another White Fang member yelled before charging at Roshi, who without even looking at his attacker stabbed one of his gun-knife hybrids into him and pulling the trigger, effectively knocking the bleeding Faunus back.

"I'm just saying, you look like you could use a hand!" Roshi stated as he attacked another White Fang member. A third White Fang soldier charged at Weiss, who used her rapier to knock back said Faunus.

"I don't need help from a Faunus!" Weiss exclaimed.

"You're freaking discriminatory!" Roshi yelled.

"I'm a victim!" Weiss stated.

"Ohoho yeah right! You look _just_ like a _victim_!" Roshi said sarcastically as he stabbed another White Fang soldier.

"Just... Just shut up! You don't know me!" Weiss yelled before parrying another White Fang member.

"Well you don't know me! So don't judge me just because I'm a Faunus!" Roshi countered as he counter-attacked another White Fang member.

"You can just-!" Weiss started, but was knocked back by a White Fang soldier. "Aaaaaaahhhhh!" she yelled as she started falling off the train. Only to be grabbed by a familiar hand. Looking up at the person who caught her, Weiss saw Roshi.

"Don't worry, I got you!" Roshi exclaimed as he pulled up Weiss.  
"Humph, I can't believe I'm actually going to say this to a Faunus, but thank you." Weiss said, turning her head away from the red haired monkey Faunus.

"_I can tell you're oh-so grateful_..." Roshi deadpanned, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's all you'll ever get out of me!" Weiss exclaimed, crossing her arms and turning her head away.

"Mhmm, that's what they all say." Roshi stated.

"Shut up!" Weisss exclaimed. Roshi just shrugged his shoulders before going back over to the edge of the train.

"Well, it's been such _pleasant_ company, Snow White, but I think it's time I take my leave." Roshi said, giving a thumbs up to Weiss. "Until next time!" he exclaimed before jumping off the speeding train. Weiss stared on indifferently but felt a small tinge of sadness.

"Well, at least the heist was unsuccessful..." Weiss said, focusing on the positive side of things.

-With Roshi-

Roshi ducked and rolled as he came closer to the ground after jumping off the train. Getting back up, Roshi brushed the dirt off his shoulders and watched the train go by. As soon as the train was out of his sights, a large grin appeared on Roshi's face. He quickly rushed into the nearby trees, heading so far that only other trees were visible for kilometers. Roshi stopped once he arrived at a clearing, catching his breath and patiently waiting. Suddenly, another Roshi appeared, hauling a familiar crate with him. A short nod of heads was given between the two before the Roshi that hauled the crate turned into a pile of mud. The original Roshi just grinned before going over to the crate, opening it up to reveal the same crate that he intended to steal before being caught.

"Heh, can't out-trick the Red Monkey..." Roshi said to himself as he began hauling the crate back to his temporary home.

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDD DONE! I really wanted to get a few pairing moments in this chapter (Naruto x Ruby and Jaune x Pyrrha). And I also put a new twist on Emerald. Some of you guys have already figured it out without knowing, but it will be revealed eventually the connections I'm making. Mwahahahahahahaha!**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	21. Chapter 21- The Burning Candle

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I got a PM from one and was given a challenge, to which I accepted. I am currently in the process of writing a Naruto/Wakfu crossover as per the challenge issued by yutch. I've worked out the details with yutch and will post said story as soon as possible.**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**suntan140- The first thought that crossed my mind when I read your review was: "Why the hell didn't I think of this?!" I like your idea, I haven't decided what song yet, though I do have a few in mind. Then I got the idea of an omake. I won't say what it is, but you'll see in about one chapter when I get to Dance Dance Infiltration.**

**ShepardisaBOSS- To answer your question... it's a secret (Kakashi Eye Smile)! Also, the Red Monkey wasn't an omake, it's the first part of a four part short story that puts Team RHFN in trailers, sort of like the RWBY trailers.**

**OBSERVER01- Naruto and Ruby are now a couple, huzzah! Also about Haran, the thing is, this story will have a similar plot style to the Naruto series. That means, that somehow, in some way, everything will have some relevance to the story and branch out in an interconnecting web of stories.**

**samgreen90- In this story, despite being one of the villains, Cinder will be more grey or good. There's a reason for that. There's will always be an explanation for what happens in my stories.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- Emerald has something that **_**can**_** be considered Grimm, yet at the same time, not.**

* * *

**And Now, On To The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(From Shadows)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Beacon Academy Ballroom-

Ruby rested her head on her hand and stared into the distance before she was startled by Weiss slamming her palms on the table she's at.  
"I need _you_ to pick a tablecloth." Weiss said with a smile. She slid two squares over to Ruby, both seeming to be similar shades of white.  
"Aren't they both the same?" Ruby asked confusingly.

"There's probably some minor thing that Weiss sees in these things." Roshi said as he helped Yang carry in massive sound speakers, each of them carrying one under each hand.

"I don't even know why I asked!" Weiss sighed in frustration. Roshi went up to her, grabbing both tablecloth samples and examining them. He spent about ten seconds looking back and forth between the two before handing the one in his right hand back to Weiss.

"This one. There, problem solved." Roshi said, placing the second cloth on the table Ruby was at before walking away.

"So have you picked out a dress yet _for your date with Naruto_?" Yang teased, causing Ruby to blush.

"No. I've been too worried with Blake." Ruby said.

"Oh, don't worry; she's going." Yang said before her eyes landed on Weiss. "Weiss! I thought we agreed: No doilies!"  
"If _I_ don't get doilies, _you_ don't get fog machines!" Weiss said, walking up to Yang and pointing in her face.  
"Your dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune asked as he and Sun walked through the doors.

"We were thinking about it..." Weiss said.  
"That's pretty cool." Neptune said.

"You ladies all excited for dress-up?" Sun asked.  
"Pfft... Yeah, right!" Ruby lied.  
"Laugh all you want. _I'll_ be turning heads tomorrow night!" Yang stated.  
"What are you two wearing?" Weiss asked.  
"Uuhhh... _this_?" Sun said, gesturing to his current shirtless attire.  
"Ignore him for he knows not what he says." Neptune said.

"Hey, I may have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt-and-tie kind of place." Sun retorted.

"Yeah, we noticed." Yang said, mirroring Ruby's and Weiss' looks of being told the extremely obvious.

"Soooo... what does Blake think of all this? She still being all, y'know... Blake-y?" Sun asked, rubbing the back of his hand.  
"Obviously." Weiss said, turning and crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I still can't think of a way to change her mind." Ruby said.  
"Guys." Yang said, all eyes on her as she started walking out. "Trust me; Blake _will_ be at the dance tomorrow."

"And if that doesn't work, I've got a backup plan." Naruto said, entering the room with at least a dozen other clones bringing in tables.  
"Backup plan...?" Ruby asked.

"It goes something like this..." Naruto said.

-Naruto's Plan-

Blake sat at one of the library tables with a holographic screen in front of her. She is obviously more sleep-deprived than ever, barely focusing on what she's seeing... until a small, bright red light appeared on the screen. Moving up and down, Blake's eyes followed it down to her hand, then disappeared entirely. She looked behind herself, obviously irritated, but no one walking among the tables is her culprit.

Turning back to the computer, she starts typing on the beeping keyboard before the laser dot appeared on her hand briefly, prompting her to look around again and still find no one. The red point shows up on the screen, moving around in circles until Blake scowled and pounded her fists on the table. She stands up from her chair and finds the light on the floor, following it blindly through shelves of books until both the dot and its pursuer turn the corner... and was hit upside the head by a heavy object, effectively knocking her out.

As she started to fall, a brown, body-sized burlap sack was thrown onto her, encasing her unconscious body. Naruto and Roshi grinned as they closed the sack and high-five'd each other.

-Beacon Academy Ballroom-

"-And that's how we'll get Blake to go to the dance." Naruto finished.

"Naruto, as your girlfriend I know what I'm talking about when I say this, you're an idiot." Ruby said, slapping Naruto's arm lightly.

"But I'm your idiot." Naruto grinned before giving Ruby a small peck on the lips, causing said girl to blush slightly.

"As much as I'd love to tease you two right now, I've got to go convince Blake." Yang said before walking out of the room.

-With Blake-

Just like in Naruto's plan, Blake was in the library, sleep-deprived, and barely focused. And just like Naruto's plan, there was a red dot that irritated Blake, causing her to chase after it. Only unlike Naruto's plan, there was no burlap sack and no knocking out. No, instead Blake bumped into Yang.

"He-lloooo!" Yang said in a sing-song voice, waving her left hand as her right held the laser pointer.

"What are you...?" Blake questioned.  
"We need to talk." Yang said, grabbing Blake's arm and whisking her away.

-With Jaune and Ren-

Emerging from the steaming bathroom in nothing but a pink towel wrapped around his lower body, Ren sighed in contentedness and started walking away, only to be stopped by Jaune suddenly appearing in front of him.  
"We need to talk!" Jaune said. And with that, amid Ren's single cry of surprise, Jaune pulled his teammate away, leaving his bottle of "Samurai Shampoo" to drop onto the ground.

-Team JNPR Dorm Room-

"Ren... I'm just gonna say it. **You** are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we've _really_ bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're _really_ quiet. To be perfectly honest, I don't know that much about you, personally, but **darnit**, I consider you to be the brother I never had!" Jaune said.

"And I you." Ren said, nodding and smiling despite appearing extremely uncomfortable. He tried to be attentive from then on, but kept glancing at his usual outfit hanging by the door.

"Which is why I wanted to get your advice on... girls." Jaune said.  
"Girls?" Ren said, sounding surprised, but started reaching out for his clothes while Jaune was looking away.

"I just... don't know... how to... girls. Um, I-I guess what I'm asking is... Well, how did you and Nora... y'know..." Jaune asked.

"Uh... uh... uh..." Ren said awkwardly, a bright red blush on his face.

"We're actually not "_together_-together"..." Nora said, laughing nervously. Like Ren, she had an equally bright red blush on her face.

"Nora I said headphones on!" Jaune exclaimed. Nora did so quickly under her leader's demand.

"Jaune, what is this all about?" Ren asked.

"It's Pyrrha. I... I want to ask her to the dance, but I don't know how to go about this." Jaune stated nervously.

"Stick to the truth then. Just be honest." Ren stated.

"But what if I-" Jaune said.

"Jaune, you can't get it wrong if it's the truth." Ren said.

"You're right. Thanks, Ren! Good talk!" Jaune said, getting up to go to the door.

"Why don't we go as an item as well, Ren?" Nora asked. "Ruby is going out with Naruto, Jaune is going to go ask Pyrrha, and Weiss has her own plans for a date to the dance. So why not?"

"Ah... umm... well..." Ren stammered. His stammer was broken when Nora came over to him, effectively silencing him with a kiss to the lips.

"Ren, we've been friends for a long time. I want us to be something more than that." Nora said, both a smile and a blush on her face.

"I... I just didn't want to ruin our relationship if you didn't feel the same way..." Ren admitted, looking down at the floor with a blush on his face as well.

"Well, I guess we both feel the same way then?" Nora questioned.

"I guess so..." Ren said, a smile on his face being matched by Nora's.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

Jaune walked up to Pyrrha, his bet with Naruto in mind as he did so.

"Hey Pyrrha, can I ask you something?" Jaune asked.

"Sure. What is it, Jaune?" Pyrrha said.

"Well... I was wondering..." Jaune said. "Do you... want to go to the dance together...?"

"Yes! I-I mean... yes, I would like to." Pyrrha stated.

"R-Really?!" Jaune hesitated.

"Yeah. I m-mean, well..." Pyrrha stammered. "I've kind of liked you for a while..."  
"You mean like, like, or "like" like?" Jaune asked.

""Like" like..." Pyrrha said, suddenly becoming a bit shy as she played with her hair, a blush on her face.

"Well, in truth, I kinda "like" like you as well..." Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head and looking at the ground, a blush apparent on his face. "So... it's a date?"

"I'll see you then..." Pyrrha said. She suddenly leaned a bit forward and gave Jaune a peck on the lips before speeding off, said blond haired boy standing there dumbfounded, his blush reaching near atomic level.

Jaune's eyes suddenly widened. The gentleman's bet! Jaune gulped as he thought about it. Now he had to look for both a suit _and_ a dress...

-With Blake and Yang-

"Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well save your breath." Blake said.  
"I don't want you to stop; I want you to slow down." Yang said, sitting cross-legged on the central desk of the empty classroom they're in, orange light shining across her calm features.

"I **don't** have the luxury to slow down." Blake said, still irritated.  
"It's not a luxury; it's a necessity." Yang said.  
"The "necessity" is stopping Torchwick." Blake countered.

"And we're going to. But first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." Yang said, patting the part of the desk across from her.

"Fine." Blake said, relenting and draping her legs over the desk's edge.

"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island off the coast of Vale. Our parents were Huntsmen. Our dad taught at Signal, and our mom took on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was, like... Super-Mom: Baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then... one day she left for a mission and never came back." Yang said, looking down as she said this, and Blake looked sorry for her. "It was tough. Ruby was really torn up, but... I think she was still too young to really get what was going on, y'know? And my dad just kind of... shut down. It wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he lost; she was the second. The first... was my mom." Blake looked amazed at this information as Yang kept talking. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them had been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she'd left me with him right after I was born. No one had seen her since."

"Why did she leave you?" Blake asked.

"That question... Why?" Yang questioned, sighing then turning to the chalkboard. She got off the desk and walked to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk. "I didn't know the answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about. I would ask anyone I could about what they knew about her."

_Flashback Start_

_As the reminiscent blonde started drawing on the board, the scene shifted to a young Yang, with orange bows holding her dirty blonde pigtails, looking at the photo found in a smashed picture frame._

"Then, one day, I found something. What I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers, or maybe even my mother." Yang said.

_The image transitioned to show Yang walking down a long winding path through the towering trees shedding their leaves with a little creaking wagon pulled right behind her, a little sister in a crimson hood sleeping soundly inside._

"I waited for Dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. I must've walked for hours. I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't gonna let anything stop me. When we finally got there, I could barely stand, but I didn't care; I had made it. And then I saw them. Those _burning_ red eyes..."

_In the shadows of the worn-down house the siblings had arrived at, beastly red shapes glowed from the darkness._

"There we were: A toddler sleeping in the back of a wagon and a stupid girl too exhausted to even cry for help. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time."

_As the Beowolves leapt into the air to devour their young prey, the familiar sound of a sniper-scythe followed the sight of them all being cut inot pieces by a caped warrior. His bird-haired silhouetted as an image of a clockwork eye appeared behind him._

_Flashback End_

As Yang finished her story, the same symbol that she saw as a child was now drawn on the chalkboard, a clockwork eye.

"My stubbornness should've gotten us killed that night." Yang said.  
"Yang... I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers! I can't just-" Blake said.

"I **told** you: I'm not telling you to stop! I haven't! To this day, I _still_ want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find answers we're looking for, Blake. But if we destroy ourselves in the process, what good are we?" Yang stated.

"You don't understand! I'm the only one who can do this!" Blake exclaimed.  
"No, _you_ don't understand!" Yang yelled, turning around sharply to reveal red eyes and the sound of flames. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?"

"I'd fight him!" Blake answered.  
"You'd _lose_!" Yang said, pushing Blake away.

"I can stop him!" Blake said, tiredly trying to do the same to Yang, but she doesn't even budge.

"You can't even stop me!" Yang yelled, pushing Blake again, knocking her to land on the desk. Yang, still angry-eyed, walked toward Blake as she got up, but then does the unexpected and embraced her in a hug, her eyes going back to their normal purple.  
"I'm not asking you to stop. Just please, get some rest." Yang said, pulling back to look at her partner. "Not just for you, but for the people you care about." She stepped away and started walking past the startled Blake, who turns when she spoke over her shoulder. "And if you feel like coming out tomorrow, I'll save you a dance."

Yang winked down at Blake, and Blake stared at Yang as she left before sighing heavily and walking away, leaving the all-seeing eye on the board.

-With Weiss and Neptune-

"Neptune!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Oh, uh, hey, what's up?" Neptune asked.

"I know this is a little unorthodox, but... I wanted to ask you something." Weiss said, putting her hands behind her back in an attempt to look innocent. "Would you... like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?"

Neptune rubbed the back of his head and smiled with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, but no..." Neptune said after a few seconds, quickly rushing past the surprised Weiss. The moment he rounded the corner of the hallway, Weiss slumped over in defeat.

"So, how's it feel to be on the short end of the stick?" a familiar voice asked. Weiss turned around to see Roshi leaning against a wall, tossing an apple in his hand and effortlessly catching it without looking.

"Tch, what would you know about rejection?" Weiss retorted, only for Roshi to look at her with narrowed eyes. The white haired girl was taken aback by this look, seeing as Roshi was usually a happy-go-lucky guy. Roshi pulled up his shirt, revealing a black seal on his abdominal region.

"You see this?" Roshi questioned. "This is a mark that only eight others share."

"So?" Weiss asked, repressing the urge to blush as she stared at the area the seal was.

"I am one of nine that are containers for demons. They called us many spiteful names, the most common term being Jinchūriki." Roshi stated. "It was both a blessing and a curse."

"What do you mean by that?" Weiss questioned.

_Flashback Start_

_A young, six year old Roshi rushed around Iwagakure. His red hair stuck out in choppy and uneven ends, he was covered in both dust and dirt, and he wore clothing made of rags. As he walked towards a group of kids, said group noticed him and began running, immediately dropping the ball they were playing with. Roshi slowed down as he got to where they once were, a sad look of rejection on his face._

"When I was growing up, nearly everyone I met would either run at the sight of me or just outright insult or attack me." Roshi stated. "All of the kids that were around my age were told just to ignore me, or worse, make fun of me. Some of the older kids were even payed to bully me."

_Rain pounded heavily on the ground of the ninja village as the young Roshi slowly and dejectedly walked through the empty streets. After a few seconds of walking, the young Roshi began to sway slightly and as the swaying gradually increased, he collapsed on the ground. Despite being conscious, Roshi didn't move as tears began to fall from his eyes._

"Sometimes I wondered why no one would accept me. If anyone would even notice if I killed myself..." Roshi said, his face becoming devoid of emotion. He shook his head slightly and sighed.

_As the young Roshi cried on the ground, the silhouettes of two people was seen. The first person was a young girl around the same age as Roshi at the time with short black hair and pupilless pink eyes. She wore a red sleeveless shirt beneath a brown sleeveless jacket, and a look of concern was on her face. The second person was a very short old man with a triangular beard and a moustache that had angular corners, a big red nose and thick eyebrows. The top of his head was completely bald, although he had long white hair on the lower half of his head which was styled in a traditional chonmage hair cut, the back of which was tied with a yellow ribbon into a topknot. He wore a green and yellow coat with a red collar, underneath which he wore the traditional Iwagakure outfit consisting of a light green version of Iwagakure's flak jacket and mesh armor. He had both of his sleeves of his shirt, but kept a single lapel on his right side. Along with this, he wore sandals. This was the Sandaime Tsuchikage, Onoki, and his granddaughter, Kurotsuchi._

"That's when I met them, the first people to ever accept me." Roshi said, a small smile on his face. "A stubborn old coot and his equally hard-headed granddaughter, Onoki and Kurotsuchi..."

_The elder Tsuchikage helped his granddaughter bring in the young ragged Roshi, who had a dull look in his eyes. The image changed to Roshi's point of view as a young Kurotsuchi appeared in his field of vision._

_"Hi! My name's Kurotsuchi! What's your name?" Kurostuchi asked._

_"Roshi..." Roshi said quietly, his voice no louder than a whisper._

_Flashback End_

"And from that day forward, they became my lifeline. The only reason that I didn't kill myself at times." Roshi stated before a small frown crossed his face. "That was long before I left the village."

"What made you leave?" Weiss asked.

"Because I was living a lie." Roshi said. "So don't you say that I don't know a thing about rejection."

"I... I didn't think that you-" Weiss said.

"Exactly, you just assumed. You thought that I would be some sort of villainous scum just because I'm a Faunus." Roshi stated with a frown before replacing it with a smile. "But that's all in the past right?"  
"I guess so..." Weiss said.  
"Great! So let me introduce myself. I'm Roshi, Roshi Yamazarurokku." Roshi said, extending his hand to Weiss, said white haired girl shook his hand.

"I'm Weiss, Weiss Schnee." Weiss said, a smile on her face.

-Beacon Academy Ballroom, Later That Day-

Yang stood at a podium, wearing a short white dress with black heels. The door in front of her opened and she flipped out upon seeing the two who walked in.

"Ooohh, you look _beautiful_!" Yang exclaimed.

"Can we have a serious talk about how Weiss fights in these?" Ruby said, groaning as she looked distressed in her red dress with black lace, belt, and pumps. She clung to Naruto's arm, using it as a support to stand. Naruto was wearing a plain black suit and pants, under which he was wearing a white dress shirt and a solid orange bow tie. All-in-all, he was dressed to impress.

"Oh, it can't be that bad." Naruto said, giving an eye smile to his girlfriend.

Soon after the pair left, another pair of familiar faces appeared through the doors. Coming in, hands interlocked, was Pyrrha and Jaune. Pyrrha wore a red sleeveless dress and Jaune wore a black suit with a red bow tie.

"'Bout time you two got together." Yang grinned, causing said two individuals to blush slightly. The two gave a short greeting to Yang before going off elsewhere to avoid Yang's teasing.

As Jaune and Pyrrha left, Nora and Ren came in hand-in-hand, followed by Han and Fu. Han wore a black suit with a dark brown bow tie and Fu was wearing a light teal dress. Following shortly after them was... Roshi and Weiss?! Roshi wore a white suit and red bow tie while Weiss wore a dress similar to Yang's.

"How did this happen?" Yang asked teasingly.

"Shut up..." Weiss retorted, looking at the ground with a large blush on her face. Roshi grinned but said nothing as the two walked off.

-With Sun-

Meanwhile outside the ballroom, Sun could be seen walking around and wearing a new black jacket that was closed up with a white tie hanging around his neck, which her proceeded to fight with before going inside.

"Stupid... dumb... neck trap!" Sun mumbled.

"I knew you'd look better in a tie." Blake said. Sun stopped his struggling and stared at the dark purple dress and bright blue bow worn by Blake, now looking like she traded her dark bags for violet eyeshadow, as she stepped forward and took him by the arm.

"Sooo, does this meant we're going... _together_?" Sun asked.

"Technically, though my first dance is spoken for." Blake replied.

-Beacon Academy Ballroom-

Inside the ballroom, streamers were hung through glass chandeliers, pink and blue balloons were everywhere, and students in dark suits and bright dresses were stepping with each other to the music between the white-clothed tables. Blake was spun around by Yang before they courtesy to one another, and Sun came up and took his date's hands as Yang gestured for him to do so. She went off to hang with Ruby, Naruto, Weiss, Roshi, Han, and Fu in the back of the room, watching Blake laugh and enjoy herself before smiling at her teammates and Team RHFN.  
"I told you she would come." Yang said.  
"Mission accomplished." Weiss said.  
"Soooo, what do we do now?" Ruby asked, turning to her teammates.

"Just have fun!" Yang answered before proceeding to walk away and do so, with Weiss going in the opposite direction, pulling Roshi with her and leaving Ruby behind. Han and Fu sayed behind and just observed.

"Does that mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?" Ruby shouted after Yang. Upon receiving no answer, she waddled around in her painful footwear. "Stupid lady stilts!"

"C'mon Ruby, let's dance!" Naruto exclaimed, grabbing Ruby by the arms and pulling her into a slow dance.

"Sorry, are we late?" a new voice asked. Looking up, Yang saw a suited up Sasuke standing next to Sakura, who wore a pink dress.

"Nope! Just in time." Yang said.

"Excellent." Sasuke said before going off with Sakura in tow.

A few minutes later, another pair walked through the doors. Yang looked up once more and smiled.  
"Glad you guys could make it!" Yang said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Mercury said. He wore a dark orange lined black suit with matching orange bow tie. Standing next to him was Emerald, who wore a black and green dress.

-With Roshi and Weiss-

Roshi held Weiss and the two slowly danced like those around them. Their dancing was interrupted when a tapping was felt on Roshi's shoulder. Looking at the perpetrator, Roshi saw a brown-haired, brown-eyed girl.

"Hi! Can I talk with you for a moment?" the girl asked.

"I'm kind of busy right now." Roshi stated.  
"It's alright. Go ahead." Weiss said. Roshi shrugged his shoulders before being pulled off elsewhere by the girl.

She brought him to one of the empty rooms of the building as his smile was quickly replaced with a frown.  
"I can sense you're using chakra. So just dispel the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)." Roshi stated. The girl was soon covered in a veil of smoke that followed a poof sound, and was soon replaced by a familiar short black haired, pupilless pink-eyed girl wearing a dark red dress.

"Roshi..." Kurotsuchi said.

Chapter End

* * *

Short Story Start

Remnant Declassified: Operation Whirlpool

Part II- The Origin of A Spartan

"_Day Seven... It appears that this place isn't just some random village built by nomads outside the kingdoms. From what they've told me, there's a whole continent that's just west of this place! And they haven't even heard of Grimm! There _isn't_ any Grimm of any kind out here!_" Frost said to the recording device he held in his hands.

"You done with your diary yet Frost?" Grinch joked.

"Yeah, just about." Frost said. Suddenly, his instinct kicked in as he felt he was being watched. "Who's there?" he asked. Stepping out from behind one of the trees was a young woman with bright green eyes and vibrant red hair.

"Sorry, I'm just curious. I've never seen any shinobi like you guys." the woman said.  
"We're soldiers, not shinobi." Grinch said. "Where are my manners, I'm Apollo Nikos."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Naomi Uzumaki!" the woman, now identified as Naomi, said.

"Naomi-nii! Naomi-nii! Where'd you go!" a childish voice called out. Coming out from the bushes was a young six year old girl. She had vibrant red hair and purple eyes similar to Haran's.

"Imouto! What are you doing here?" Naomi asked.

"I got bored 'ttebane! Who are the weird looking guys you're with? Is he your boyfriend?!" the little girl asked.

"N-No!" Naomi exclaimed, a blush on her face as she did so.

"Good! 'Cause they aren't exactly any good to look at 'ttebane!" the girl said with a grin.

"Who's the little brat?" Frost asked.

"Well, this is my little sister, Kushina..." Naomi stated.

-Present Day-

"That Apollo guy, he sounds familiar..." Ruby said.

"Well, you might know him in some way. He's got a daughter named Pyrrha." Derek stated.

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDD DONE! As said above, I've been challenged by to write a challenge story, a Naruto/Wakfu crossover. I've also been thinking about writing another story as well, what it's about I won't say unless I do make it.**

**And now we know that Naruto and Pyrrha are, wait for it... cousins! I just said this so that those of you don't get what Derek was implying when he said that Apollo (a.k.a. Grinch) has a daughter named Pyrrha, you know.**

**Well, it's been fun guys, I'll see ya next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	22. Chapter 22- Dance Dance Infiltration

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! This story is probably my best story so far, but it's got me thinking about what I'll write after this story is finished. I'll probably focus on my other stories or make other ones. Meh, I'll worry about that when I get to that.**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**OBSERVER01- I was playing on that idea that Pyrrha and Jaune are the RWBY version of Minato and Kushina. Plus, I want this pairing to happen both in this story and in RWBY canon.**

**ChaosDivine02- Ohohoho, you'll just have to wait to see their reactions.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- Your welcome. I myself am an avid Ren x Nora and Jaune x Pyrrha fan. And I fear that it will never happen in the canon. Why? Because of the fanbase. If the creators of the series were to, per say, make a pairing that has a love triangle already made happen, then there would be an increase of raging fans of the lost pairing and they would lose a demographic. That's my theory anyways.**

**samgreen90- You're half right. There are a few things that you don't know that I have planned for this chapter. Kami forgive me for what I have planned *Shudders*.**

* * *

**And Now, On To The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Caramelldansen)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-With Roshi and Kurotsuchi-

"Roshi..." Kurotsuchi said.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Kuro?" Roshi asked with a sigh.

"I... I'm sorry about everything, Roshi..." Kurotsuchi said.

"There's nothing to be forgiven for, Kuro." Roshi stated. "I got over it a long time ago."

"But-" Kurotsuchi started.

"But nothing. I've moved on, you should as well." Roshi stated before starting to walk away.

"There's something else." Kurotsuchi said, grabbing Roshi's arm. "You're in danger."

"Yeah, I know. I've already encountered an Akatsuki member here." Roshi said.

"The Akatsuki? That's not what I'm talking about." Kurotsuchi stated. "Gramps has plans to kidnap you some time during the tournament."

"What?! Gramps Onoki?" Roshi questioned. "Why would you tell me this?"

"Because I saw how happy you were with that white haired girl. I want my best friend to be happy with his life." Kurotsuchi said, a smile gracing her face.

"Thanks, Kuro..." Roshi said as Kurostuchi enveloped him in a friendly hug.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

"What's the matter, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked, said blond having been lead to one of the outdoor balconies by Pyrrha.

"I just wanted to talk." Pyrrha said shyly as she twirled her hair in her hand.

"Well, you look really nice." Jaune said.

"Thank you." Pyrrha said, a blush prominent on her face.

"You okay?" Jaune asked.

"Well, I wanted to tell you something..." Pyrrha stated.

"You can tell me anything." Jaune said. Pyrrha said nothing as she went up to Jaune and gave him a kiss. Jaune's eyes widened slightly before he melted into the kiss, embracing the romantic gesture. When the kiss broke, the two smiled as they held the other in their arms.

"I _really_ like you." Pyrrha stated.

"I like you too..." Jaune said.

Unbeknownst to the new couple, Naruto, Ruby, and a cloaked man watched on with satisfaction. Naruto and Ruby turned to the cloaked man, who gave a thumbs up before disappearing in a crimson flash.

-Beacon Academy Ballroom-

Yang leaned on a handrail and overlooked the festivities from a second tier as Ruby and Naruto approached, both leaning on the rail as well.

"You know? I think we really needed this." Yang stated. Blake and Sun were slow dancing, Ren and Nora appeared to be Waltzing, Han and Fu were doing the tango, and Penny appeared to be doing the Robot alongside two Atlas soldiers.

"Yeah, and you did a great job planning it too!" Ruby said.

"Aw, thanks!" Yang said, reaching over to Ruby and crushing her in a one-arm hug as said red haired girl flailed frantically. "It wasn't all me, though. Weiss and Team RHFN did a lot too."

Ruby stopped struggling to look down at Weiss. Roshi soon approached her, extending his hand out to her in a gentleman-like way, to which she accepted with a smile before the two started slow dancing.

"Tomorrow it's back to work." Yang said.

"I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us." Naruto stated.

"Ex-_cept_ for that." Ruby said amidst a fit of laughter and giggles below. Walking up to Pyrrha was Jaune, who wore a white dress with a blue ribbon.

"Why's Flaky wearing a dress?" Yang asked.

"A Gentleman's Bet." Naruto said.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha questioned.

"Eh, a Gentleman's Bet is a Gentleman's Bet." Jaune stated.

"Is _that_ what this was about?" Pyrrha asked.

"Hey, an Arc never goes back on his word." Jaune said, extending his hand to Pyrrha. "Now, do you wanna stand there and laugh at me, or do _you_ wanna dance?"

"I would _love_ to dance." Pyrrha said, offering her own had. Jaune pulled her to him and swept her away. "_Oh_!"

"Ren. This... is... _happening_!" Nora exclaimed, flailing excitedly.

"Wait, what "is happening"?" Ren asked. He got no response as Nora grabbed him and dragged him out onto the dance floor with Pyrrha and Jaune.

What happened next could best be described as a well choreographed brief synchronized dance. **(AN: XD No words... Just, no words to describe this dance. I'm no choreographer)**

After the dance ended, culminating in Jaune spinning Pyrrha, Naruto, Han, and Roshi looked at each other, as if reading each other's minds, and nodded in sync.

"I had _no_ idea you were a dancer." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah, well, these things tend to happen when you grow up with seven sisters." Jaune stated, dipping Pyrrha and then spinning her away.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Naruto asked as he met up with Han and Roshi.  
"I agree. They called us out, we have to answer them with one of our own." Han stated.

"Let's do this." Roshi said. The three shared a nod before heading to the stage.

"Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique)!" the trio called out, their forms being covered in a veil of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the three Jinchūriki were no longer there. In their places were three girls.

_**(Play Caramelldansen by Caramell) (AN: Kami help us all...)**_

Where Roshi once stood, was a brown eyed girl with brown hair held in high pigtails wearing a black and red short sleeve shirt, a gray skirt, a red belt, and black short shorts. She was giving off a salute with her left hand.

Where Naruto once stood, was a blue eyed girl with blond hair wearing what appeared to be a white and blue school uniform with a red scarf. Her right fist was held up.

And lastly, where Han once stood, was a purple eyed girl with lavender hair wearing a pink sleeveless shirt with a black collar with yellow around the edges, pink sleeves, a purple skirt, a white and orange belt, and white stockings. She had her hands on her hips.

The next few moments were a blur, effectively scarring a few students. As Naruto, Roshi, and Han danced, their dates had all facepalmed at the same time. By the end of the dance, many of the students, including the three involved with said dance, had their memory of this dance removed from their minds reflexively, so none recalled what happened in the past three minutes. But, if one were to check the security camera footage of that night, they would find something like this... **(AN: For reference to the dance, just look up the Caramelldansen music video on YouTube)**

"It appears all the dancers have partners." Emerald said.  
"_How long do I have?_" Cinder asked.

"You should probably be home by midnight, to be safe." Mercury stated.

-Outside The Beacon Academy Ballroom-

"I'll keep my eye on the clock." Cinder said before taking off.

Ruby and Naruto, having made their way outside, watched a figure running along the rooftops. The two shared a look followed by a nod before taking off in pursuit.

-Cross Continental Transmit Tower-

Outside the Cross Continent Transmit Tower, Cinder, who was dressed as a cat burglar, stealthily approached an armed guard. She knife-handed the back of his head, rendering him unconscious with a stunned grin on his face. She dragged him behind some bushes before approaching the entrance to the building. She looked behind her to see if she was being followed, her suspicions being confirmed as she saw Naruto rushing towards her.

"Dammit! Emerald, Mercury, plan B!" Cinder exclaimed into her ear piece.

"_On our way!_" Emerald said.

Cinder, armed with two knife-like blades she produced from flash-forging them from fire Dust, charged at Naruto, said blond haired fox Faunus pulled up his right sleeve, revealing an intricate seal. He channeled chakra through the seal and his tanto appeared in a poof of smoke, causing Cinder's eyes to widen.

"Are you an Uzumaki?" Cinder asked as their blades clashed.

"Where did you hear that name?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.

"So you are one, hm?" Cinder questioned, pulling back and channeling fire Dust through the two blades and shooting said projectiles at Naruto in a slash-like motion.

"Suiton: Suijinchū (Water Release: Water Formation Pillar)!" Naruto exclaimed, shooting out a watered-down **(Get it? Hahaha [Sarcasm])** version of the rather collateral technique. Enough so that the fiery projectiles were evaporated.

-With Ruby-

Ruby approached the CCT Tower, her eyes widening as she saw her boyfriend fighting the mysterious assailant. She pulled out her scroll, dialing for her weapon locker which crashed into the courtyard and opened to reveal Crescent Rose. Ruby ran up to her weapon locker, retrieving her sniper-scythe from the crashed pod. After doing so, she turned to the fight just ahead of her, only for her path to be blocked by two familiar, yet mysterious, people. One had teal hair and a teal mask while the other had gray hair and a gray mask.

"Your fight is with us." Mercury said as he and Emerald charged at Ruby.

-With Naruto-

"Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique)!" Naruto called out after dodging another fireball and channeling chakra through his tanto and sending it out in a slash-like motion. Cinder jumped up to avoid the attack, her two blades merging together to form a bow. With a mental command, she formed three primed arrows and shot them at Naruto.

Naruto charged forward to dodge the attacks. As Cinder landed back on the ground, her bow morphed back into two blades to block the blond fox Faunus's tanto. She strafed backwards and shot another volley of fireballs at Naruto, said blond dodging the fiery projectiles. By the time he recovered, she was already halfway through the doors to the CCT Tower. Naruto looked behind him to see Ruby fighting against the masked Emerald and Mercury, but his concern was dismissed when she gave him a nod of her head, one that said 'I got this.' Naruto nodded his head back before heading off into the CCT Tower.

He arrived just in time to see Cinder behind the elevator doors as it began its ascent. Naruto then rushed out the main doors and began channeling chakra to his feet and ran up the massive building's walls.

-With Ruby-

Ruby dodged a slash from Emerald's weapons and pointed her Crescent Rose backward and fired off a round, giving her the momentum to charge at Emerald. Said teal haired girl strafed back as Mercury took her place, firing off a shot gun shell from his greaves with a kick. Ruby fired off another round, changing the direction she was launched as she landed on her feet. She used Crescent Rose to block another strike from Emerald's weapons and firing off a sniper shell, sending the red haired girl back.

Before Emerald could charge at Ruby, she fell over on one knee, violently coughing as the same black marks as before started appearing on her body.

"Dammit! Why does this have to happen now?!" Mercury exclaimed, quickly grabbing the downed form of Emerald and taking off to parts unknown.

Ruby was about to take off in pursuit when a resonating 'boom!' was heard from the tower. Turning to the tower, her eyes widened before she rushed to the tower's main entrance.

"What is going on here!?" a familiar voice yelled. Turning to the source of the exclamation, Ruby saw Ironwood running toward her.

"There are these masked people that are attacking the tower!" Ruby exclaimed. "Naruto's up there facing one of the attackers!"

Ironwood's eyes widened before he began running toward the main entrance, Ruby shortly following after.

-With Cinder-

Inside the building, the elevator doors opened up to show Cinder examining a scroll. The two guards that were in the elevator were now knocked out by the masked woman.

"Oh! That's handy." Cinder stated, pocketing the scroll and walking out of the elevator and toward the control consoles nearby.

"_It appears that one of the party guests is close to your position_." a familiar voice said.

"Which one, 'Madara'?" Cinder asked.

"_Ironwood_." 'Madara' stated. "_I trust that you are finished with your mission_."

"Just about." Cinder said, a random code appearing on a computer screen was shown to change into a Queen chess piece. As she started walking away, the window nearest the elevator was smashed open. Standing in front of the smashed window was Naruto, who was holding his tanto in his right hand, and one of his pistols in his left.

"You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you just put down your weapon and-!" Naruto said. He was interrupted when Cinder produced a container of ice Dust and sent shards of ice flying at Naruto. Said blond fox Faunus rolled under the icicles and charged forward, firing off condensed chakra at Cinder, who blocked the attacks with Dust shields.

Cinder then produced another Dust container, this one having a red glow to it, and shot out several small fireballs at Naruto. As Naruto recovered from the projectiles, Cinder dashed forward and with a chop to the neck, Naruto was knocked out.

As he dropped his tanto and pistol, the doors to the elevator opened up, revealing Ironwood and Ruby. Before they could step even three feet into the room, Cinder launched a single large fireball at the duo. Ironwood and Ruby rolled out of the way to avoid the fiery projectile. By the time they recovered, Cinder and Naruto were gone, the only signs of their presence being Naruto's pistol and tanto.

Ruby rushed to the shattered window and desperately looked around for any sign of Naruto, but found none.

"They're gone!" Ruby exclaimed frantically. She had good reason to as well.

Naruto had been kidnapped.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, How It Could Have Happened, Dance-Off-

Team RHFN and Team JNPR stared each other down with narrowed eyes. The Daft Punk DJs, along with the other students watched the events unfold.

"It's time to end this once and for all..." Naruto stated.  
"I agree..." Jaune said.

**(AN: For reference, watch Witch Encounter by Slamacow)**

"With a dance-off!" Naruto and Jaune exclaimed at the same time.

"Hit it!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at the DJ, who spun a record in his hand before playing said record. The two then danced to a jazz beat.

Halfway through the song **(1:08)**, Naruto and Jaune jumped back, Roshi and Nora taking their places. The jazz beat was transitioned into a more hip-hop beat as the two danced-off. Around twenty seconds later **(1:23)**, Han and Ren took their places, Yang appearing near Han with a fiddle in her hands, somehow playing it extremely well despite it being her first time ever touching the instrument.

"Wait, where did you get the fiddle?" Weiss questioned.  
"Mallet Space!" Yang exclaimed. Han soon finished his short dance, motioning to the DJ to change the beat. Students were crowded around the DJ booth, the entire group trying to figure out which beat to choose next.

Following Han and Ren, Fu and Pyrrha were up next, dancing to a Russian beat. After their dance was finished, Roshi and Nora went up again, dancing to a more game-like beat.

By the time they were finished, Naruto and Jaune went up again, both having discarded their suit jackets as they danced to a Dubstep beat.

-With Professor Oobleck-

Oobleck sat at the edge of his bed, bags under his eyes as he sighed. The effects of his coffee-induced energy have worn off as he prepared to sleep. Only he couldn't. Why? Because there was a giant block of text in front of him. It said, "You may not rest now, there's a dance off nearby."

-Beacon Academy Ballroom-

The dance escalated to a point that everybody else started joining in, until Naruto threw down a smoke pellet. When the smoke cleared, Jaune was posing, wearing a white dress. He then started to do a dance to ballet music. He then started flapping his hands up and down, flying off the ground slightly. But then the music stopped, causing Jaune to fall face-first into the ground, still wearing a dress.

"..." Nobody said anything as silence permeated the air.

"We won, you guys all saw that right?" Roshi asked.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAANNNNNNDDDDD DONE! Naruto's been kidnapped! Or is it foxnapped? Either way, this will certainly be very interesting. Especially with what I have planned.**

**Also, a disclaimer, I do not own the Witch Encounter video, Slamacow owns that.**

**In a few days time, I'll probably post the first chapter to the Naruto/Wakfu challenge. In order to get a better understanding of what I'm writing, I've made a character for the Wakfu game. It's slightly confusing, but I'm pretty sure I'll get it eventually.**

**The next chapter will be one of the very few so far that isn't part of canon, yet still ties into the story.**

**Anyways, this has been the latest installment of TMH, Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	23. Chapter 23- Field Trip!

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I've posted the first chapter to my newest story, The Wakfu Sage! Check it out if you want to! Please do...**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**ShepardisaBOSS- I wish I could un-see the images of the Caramelldansen. I really do...**

**Guest- All shall be explained soon enough...**

**Seta- You must have been suffering from EMLS (Early Morning Loop Syndrome) cuz I have never reposted in my career as a fanfic writer.**

**ChaosDivine02- One does not really need to think hard as to why Onoki wants Roshi kidnapped.** **Jinch****ūrik****i are the Elemental Nations version of the real world's nuclear warheads, at least in potential.**

**OBSERVER01- Like I just said, all shall be explained soon enough...**

* * *

**And Now, I Give You The Latest Chapter Of TMH!**

**And Now, On To The Story!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Ozpin's Office, The Next Day-

"They were here... Ozpin, they were _here_! And they kidnapped one of your students!" Ironwood exclaimed, raising his voice at that last part and angrily slamming his fist against Ozpin's desk.

"We're very much aware of that! Thank you, James." Glynda said.  
"Fantastic! You're aware! Now are we going to do something about it or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?!" Ironwood asked

Before the conversation could continue, an alert sound played, signifying that someone had arrived on the elevator.

"Come in." Ozpin said. Shortly after, Ruby stepped out and into the room, her eyes slightly puffy and red.

"Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all the buttons on the elevator on the way up here. It wasn't me." Ruby said.  
"Thank you for coming, Ruby. How are you feeling?" Ozpin asked.  
"Only a few days ago did I get a boyfriend. Now he's been kidnapped. How do you think I'm doing?" Ruby asked rhetorically. The three other occupants of the room looked down and stayed silent.

"Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that what you did last night was exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat. You took action. And you did the very best you could. Mark my words, we will find and save him." Ironwood stated.

"Thank you, sir." Ruby said.  
"Now, the general here is already informed of most of the events that... transpired last night, but now that you rested, we were wondering if you have anything to add." Ozpin stated.

"Was anyone else with her? Did she look familiar to you at all?" Glynda asked.

"There were two other people with her. They all were wearing masks, and they never said anything to me directly. But I know that one of them was a teal haired girl and another was a gray haired guy. Her clothing lit up when she attacked though." Ruby stated.  
"Save for the other two, that sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby." Glynda stated.

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique. It could have been anyone." Ironwood said.  
"Wait. You think that this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang?" Ruby questioned.

"It's plausible. But we still lack the required evidence that links the two together." Ozpin stated.

"Actually, I think I remember one of them saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast. Just outside the Kingdom." Ruby stated.  
"Interesting." Ozpin said.  
"I thought you said the intruders never-" Glynda started.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby. Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you." Ozpin stated.

"Any time." Ruby said before leaving.

"And Miss Rose, please try and be discrete about this matter." Ozpin said.

"Yes sir." Ruby said.

-Team RWBY Dorm Room-

Ruby sighed as she got to her dorm room doorway. As she opened the door, Ruby saw Yang, Blake, and Weiss inside. The three zoomed over to Ruby.

"What happened?" Yang asked.

"Naruto got kidnapped last night." Ruby said.  
"What?!" was the collective cry of the room's three occupants.

-Ozpin's Office-

"Well there we have it. We send as many troops as we can into the southeast, find out what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way." Ironwood stated.  
"Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!? You treat every situation like a contest of measuring-!" Glynda said.  
"Glynda!" Ozpin said.  
"Well, he does." Glynda stated.  
"She's right. As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale. Beyond Beacon. And if this truly is part of some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't be so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic." Ozpin stated.

"I have served you faithfully for years... but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to hold the defenses, and wait-" Ironwood said.

"It is _not_! You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?" Ozpin questioned.

"You send the spies first." a new voice stated. Standing in the doorway was the three remaining members of Team RHFN. The voice appeared to be coming from Roshi.

"And who exactly are you three?" Ironwood asked.

"These are Han Irukauma, Roshi Yamazarurokku, and Fu Toruko. The three teammates of Naruto Uzumaki." Ozpin stated.

"We can find him." Han said.

"And how are you so certain about that?" Ironwood questioned, skeptical of the accusation.

"All four of us are connected in a special way." Fu stated.

"Give us a week, and we'll find Naruto and the White Fang." Roshi said.

"That's a pretty big claim." Ironwood said.

"I have faith that they'll be able to." Ozpin said. "Alright, your first mission as Huntsmen will be to find and save your teammate. You'll head out to the southeast quadrant after the ceremony is finished."

"Hai!" the three Jinchūriki chorused.

-With Team RWBY-

"That was a risky move." Weiss said.  
"No, I think you handled it well." Blake stated.

"I hope so." Ruby said.  
"I'm sure everything will be alright, Ruby. Oh, I know what will cheer you up!" Yang said, producing a cylindrical package the length of her forearm.  
"What's that?" Ruby asked.  
"I don't know yet. Dad sent it to us. And I thought we could open it together!" Yang stated.

"Ooooh! Something from home!" Ruby exclaimed, zooming over to Yang and wrapping herself around Yang, trying to take the cylinder from her. The package opened, and another cylinder, hairy and black, fell out onto the floor and started to shake. The object suddenly transformed into a corgi. Team RWBY leaned in, staring at it. The animal barked twice. While Weiss and Blake continued to react with great shock, Ruby and Yang reacted excitedly, with Ruby jumping in the air.  
"Zwei!" Ruby exclaimed.  
"He sent a _dog_?" Blake questioned.  
"In the mail?" Weiss added.

"Oh, he does stuff like this all the time!" Yang exclaimed. Blake disappeared, shown now to be on Ruby's bunk.

"Your father or your dog?" Blake asked.

"Are you telling me that this mangy... drooling... _mutt_ is gonna wiv wif us _foweva_? Oh, yes he _is_! Oh, isn't he adorable!" Weiss exclaimed, her speech going from disgust to adoration.

"Please keep him away from my belongings." Blake stated.

"Will all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?" Glynda said over the intercom.

"Well, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for the week." Weiss stated. Ruby placed Zwei down and he walked over to Blake still on the top bunk, and barked.  
"Look, there's a letter!" Yang said as Zwei arrived in front of said girl. "'Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei today for you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang." Dozens of cans of dog food fell out of the small package, piling up around Zwei.

"What is he supposed to do with all of that?" Weiss questioned. A can opener fell from the package, bouncing off Zwei's head.

"Well, that settles it! Come on girls, Zwei will be here when we get back!" Yang said.

"Oh, I'll miss you so much, we're going to be best friends, I can't wait to see you, I can't believe how cute you are." Weiss said, her speech deteriorating into incomprehensive babytalk.

Ruby stared at Zwei for a moment, before smiling sneakily.

-Beacon Academy Amphitheater-

Ruby was wearing a large backpack as she entered the auditorium with other students. She then placed it down next to other students luggage before rejoining her team, who were standing in front of Team JNPR. She looked around and frowned when she didn't see the three members of Team RHFN.

"Quiet! Quiet please. Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." Glynda said.  
"Today we stand together, united. Mistral. Atlas. Vacuo. Vale. The four Kingdoms of Remnant. On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, of greed, and of oppression. A war that was about much more than when borders fell or who traded with who, but the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, one of which being the countless destruction of all forms of art or self-expression. And as you are all aware, that is something many could not stand for. As a result, those who opposed this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that they refused to tolerate this oppression, but neither were the generations to come. And it was a trend that was held to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort. Which is why today, while the rest of this world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to uphold it. As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the Kingdom for several days. Others will work the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin said before stepping away as the students all began to file out of the amphitheater.

"This is perfect! All we have to do is shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast!" Ruby said.

"Yeah! We'll follow him by day and give him the slip by night!" Yang said.  
"Let's check Search and Destroy!" Weiss stated as Team RWBY approached a hologram screen.

"Here we go! Quadrant 5 needs Grimm cleared out!" Ruby stated.

"Well, it's in the southeast!" Blake stated.

"Sounds perfect!" Yang stated.

"Wonderful!" Weiss said. Ruby selected it and typed in her team name. However, the screen said that first years are not allowed to take this mission.

"Any other ideas?" Blake asked.

"We _mail_ ourselves there!" Ruby said.

"Well, that's one option." Ozpin said, suddenly appearing.

"Unfortunately, we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first-year students. It seems that _particular_ region is popular. In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that you four will make your way there no matter which job you choose."

"Whatever makes you say that?" Ruby asked as Weiss, Blake, and Yang glared at her as she nervously rubbed her head.

"I'm still curious how you found yourself at the docks last semester. I'm interested to learn how you really know about a hideout in the southeast. And I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots, rose petals, orange, and steam in a dance club some time ago." Ozpin stated.

"Um... well..." Ruby said.  
"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers we're looking for. So how about this: instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just _bend_ them?" Ozpin asked, selecting some things on his scroll, causing the hologram screen to make a noise.

"We won't let you down. Thank you, professor." Ruby stated.

"Do not thank me for this. Just because I've made it so that your team can take this mission, doesn't mean that you'll be the only team that will be with you. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far. But you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the Kingdom will not care. Stay close to your Huntsman at all times. And do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory. Good luck." Ozpin said.

-Outside The Amphitheater-

"That wasn't exactly uplifting." Yang said, Team RWBY having left the auditorium and were making their way to the airship that would take them to Quadrant 5.

"But it's the truth." Blake stated.  
"I know it's going to be tough, but we can do it!" Ruby said.  
"But who is this other team that will be going with us?" Weiss questioned.

"Who else do you think?" the familiar voice of Roshi called out. The four girls turned around to see Han, Roshi, and Fu making their way towards them.

"Whoever that woman was who kidnapped our leader, she's probably in leagues with the White Fang. Or worse, the Akatsuki." Han stated.

"And don't expect us just to sit on the sidelines idly when Naruto's in trouble." Fu said.

"Hey! Team CFVY (Coffee) is back!" a random student called out as he ran past the two teams. Beacon students gathered around to witness the return of Team CFVY. Blake went up to Velvet.

"Velvet? Are you okay?" Blake asked.

"I'm fine. I had Yatsuhashi to look out for me." Velvet said.

"Your mission was supposed to end a _week_ ago! What happened?" Weiss asked.  
"Nothing happened. There were just... so many..." Velvet said, looking up and noticing Team RWBY's worried expressions. "But don't worry. You first-years are just shadowing Huntsmen, so you should be fine."  
"Right." Yang said.  
"I should go. Be safe, okay?" Velvet said, waving goodbye before she left.

"We can do this. We've never backed down before, and we're not going to start now." Ruby said optimistically.

"Right." Fu said.

"Besides, it won't only be us out there! We'll be fighting alongside a genuine Huntsman!" Roshi said with a grin.  
"Yeah!" Yang exclaimed, matching Roshi's grin with her own.

-Five Minutes Later-

The three members of Team RHFN and the four members of Team RWBY stood there with various stunned expressions, having just discovered who they would be shadowing. Both Yang and Ruby had a look of surprise on their face, Blake had a sweatdrop on her forehead, Weiss's eyes were widened to comical proportions, Fu had a comical look of defeat on her face, Han was staring dumbfounded, and Roshi was currently trying to fuse his face to the palm of his hand.

"Remind me to never open my mouth _ever_ again." Roshi said.

"Why, hello ladies and gentlemen. Who's ready to fight for their lives?" Oobleck asked.

Chapter End

* * *

Side Story Begin

A Cinderella Story

Part I- A Snake In The Grass

-Somewhere In The Land of Rice, Fifteen Years Ago-

Two men walked through the small village. The first was a tall man with a pale, near white, complexion. He hand long black hair, yellow slitted eyes, much like that of a snake's, purple pigments around his eyes, two tomoe-shaped earrings, and wore a light tan colored shirt with a long sleeved black shirt underneath, the tan shirt being tied by a purple belt. Next to him was a gray haired man wearing glasses, a purple shirt, and black pants.

"Orochimaru-sama, why did we go to this village?" the gray haired man asked.

"Because, Kabuto, there is something, rather someone, here that has caught my interest." the black haired man, now identified as Orochimaru, said.

"But usually you just send one of the others to retrieve them." the gray haired man, identified as Kabuto, stated.

"This one is special." Orochimaru stated. "A child born with the Shakuton (Scorch Release)."

"The Shakuton?! I thought that was only available in Suna?" Kabuto said.

"It appears that was wrong." Orochimaru said, the duo continued walking through the village until they came across a small alleyway. "Shall we?"

As the duo entered the alleyway, they noticed a small little girl with yellow-orange eyes and short black hair wearing rags.

"W-Who are you...?" the little girl screamed out in fright.  
"We mean you no harm, we just want to talk." Orochimaru stated.

"No! All adults are liers and meanies and jerks!" the little girl exclaimed.  
"We just want to offer you a new home, away from all these 'mean' adults." Orochimaru said.

"You... you really mean it?" the little girl questioned.

"Yes." Orochimaru replied. "Now, would you be so kind as to tell us your name?"

"It's Cinder. Cinder Fall..." the little girl said.

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDD DONE! Wow, this is a new record for me, pulling out a chapter in the time span of less than 24 hours after posting a different one. *Gives self pat on the back***

**Naruto wasn't seen in this chapter, and there's a reason for that. Two words: Knocked Out. Plain and simple.**  
**Also, you guys get a look at the origins of how Cinder became the villainess she is today. It will all make sense in time, trust me.**

**Just like the promise of dragons in Game of Thrones, except this is less empty promise than that. Trust me, the only thing that's holding me back from really going to the final chapters of the story is the fact that Rooster Teeth hasn't gotten to the whole invasion part of RWBY that we all know is coming.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review! Or in the immortal words of Atlas:**

**"Read and Review, Would You Kindly."**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	24. Chapter 24- Search And Rescue

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! It's celebration time! Twenty-five chapters worth of fanfiction! Wow, I can't believe how far I've progressed with my writing and story-telling skills. To think, that not only half a year ago I was just starting out on this website a timid, first-person point of view telling writer. Now here I am, with a 100k+ story that has more than 140,000 views, 400+ reviews, 600+ favorites, and 650+ alerts. And it's all thanks to you guys, the readers. So thank you!**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**samgreen90- That's not their current mission, their current mission is to represent Konoha in the presence of the four Kingdoms.**

**Guest (Oct. 11)- I'll have you know that except for Ozpin's speech to the entire group of students, I hand typed everything. I just use the transcripts for the episodes as reference. It's much easier to write based on a transcript than trying to describe from pausing an episode. The only things I've copy and pasted are jutsu names, anything with a strange accent over a letter, and Ozpin's speech to the students last chapter.**

**Karlos1234ify- Personally, I think that Oobleck's weapon resembles the one that Junior used in the Yellow trailer. And considering that his weapon is also his thermos, and most likely uses Dust, I formed an idea for an omake.**

**OBSERVER01- That ties in with the omake idea I came up with. Hehe, let's just say that it'll explain the reason why Oobleck is always so hyper.**

**ChaosDivine01- That is what this chapter will be about basically.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- A storm is coming, a maelstrom (Get it? Ha... ha... heh...) that will shake the canon storyline.**

* * *

**And Now, I Give You The Next Chapter of TMH! Enjoy! Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-With Team RWBY and Team RHFN (Minus Naruto)-

"Professor Oobleck?" Weiss questioned.

"Yes, I'm afraid those bags won't be necessary, team, seeing as you've opted to shadow a Huntsman on what is now essentially a search and rescue slash reconnaissance mission. I can assure you, we will not be establishing a single base of operations; rather, we will be traversing several miles of hazardous wasteland and making camp in any defendable locations we may stumble upon. I packed all of our essentials myself, plotted our air course, and readied the airship." Oobleck said, talking fast, per the norm, as he paced in front of the seven students. "And... It's **Doctor** Oobleck. I didn't earn the PhD for _fun_, thank you very much!"

"_This guy needs to switch to decaf_..." Roshi said under his breath.

"Come now, children; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind!... schedule!" Oobleck stated, adding that last part as an afterthought to clarify before zipping off to the airship docked behind the nutty professor in a matter of seconds, leaving a small dust cloud as he did so.

"Well, alright, then! Looks like we're going to save Naruto with Doctor Oooobleck- okay, yeah when you say it out loud it sounds worse." Ruby said, her statement starting out positive and upbeat before suddenly becoming as depressed as her team halfway through.

"Hopefully he's as fast as he is now in battle." Han stated, trying to look on the positive side of things.

"We're doomed." Fu said.

"Come on, guys! Let's go save the world!" Roshi exclaimed.

"Save the world?" Nora called out. The group turned around to see Team JNPR approaching them. "You're going on world-saving missions without us? I'm hurt... sad! Maybe a little hungry? That last one's not your fault, though, **Ren**..." Ren just rolled his eyes, but smile nonetheless at his girlfriend's antics.

"Sounds exciting. Where ya going?" Jaune asked.  
"Outside the kingdom." Fu stated.

"Hey! So are we!" Nora said.  
"Ren and Nora wanted to shadow the sheriff of a nearby village." Pyrrha stated.  
"We set out tomorrow." Ren stated.

"Then you can party with us tonight!" Neptune called out, said blue haired boy walked over to the group alongside Sun. "We're shadowing a crime specialist. All inner-city detective stuff. We get junior badges."

"We normally go to the city with you guys, _which_ means stuff's always exploding and junk, so we thought this might be a better way to check out the kingdom when it's, you know... normal." Sun stated. "By the way, where's Naruto? I don't see him with your team?"

"He's been kidnapped." Han stated, much to the shock of the others, save for Team RWBY, Roshi, and Fu. "It's part of the reason why we're going out of the Kingdom, we were able to track his trail as far as Quadrant Five."

"Who would want to take Naruto?" Pyrrha questioned.

"I could name quite a few people." Roshi replied. "There's the Akatsuki, their entire goal is to capture us."

"_Four_ minutes, people!" Oobleck called out from the airship.

"Well, uh... Wish us luck!" Ruby said, and with that, the friends disbanded, either back to Beacon Academy or towards their mission.

-With Naruto, Unknown Location-

"**... ruto... Naruto... Naruto!**" Kurama called out, causing the blond fox Faunus to jolt up then fall back down in pain, but still conscious.

'Kyuubi? What happened?' Naruto mentally asked. He took a look around the place he woke up in, only to find that he was in some sort of damp prison cell, water slowly dripping down from a crack in the ceiling. The sounds of machinery and robots was heard off in the distance as well.

"So you've finally awoken, Kyuubi Jinchūriki." 'Madara' called out, leaning on the doorway to the cell Naruto was in. The blond fox Faunus growled before rushing at the masked man, only to collide with an orange energy barrier. "It's no use in trying to escape, you're in a Gofū Kekkai (Five-Seal Barrier) with Chakra Draining Seals placed inside."

"Dammit! I won't just give up like this!" Naruto yelled, thrashing against the energy barrier.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't blondie." Roman called out, walking up next to 'Madara'.

"Up yours, Flaky!" Naruto yelled, causing Roman to lose the smirk on his face.

"What is your reason for being here right now, Roman?" 'Madara' asked.

"I just wanted you to know that the plan is on schedule, we should be prepped to breach the cave-in in a few days." Roman stated.

"Excellent." 'Madara' said before turning his head to Naruto. "Now. You are more docile unconscious, Tsukyomi (Moon Reader)." he said, his only visible eye morphing into a pinwheel shaped red eye. Naruto's eyes widened before he fell over unconscious.

-With Team RWBY and Team RHFN (Minus Naruto)-

The airship that held the seven students and professor flew through the air over buildings and streets amid deafening turbines.

"I guess I never saw you as much of a fighter." Roshi said to Oobleck.

"I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, but I can assure you, as a Huntsman, I've had my fair share of tussles." Oobleck stated.  
"Like the mushroom?" Ruby questioned, tilting her head in confusion.

"Those are truffles." Blake corrected.

"Like the sprout?" Ruby asked, still scratching her head in befuddlement.

"Those are Brussels." Yang said.

"Besides, given my expertise in the field of history as well as my dabblings in the archaeological surveys, our dear headmaster saw it fit to assign me to this particular... assignment!" Oobleck said.  
"What does history have to do with this? We're searching for Naruto, remember?" Roshi asked.  
"Why, what a preposterous question, you silly boy! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager." Oobleck replied.

"And that means...?" Weiss asked.

"The southeast quadrant outside of Vale is home to wild forests and deep caves, _but_ it is also the location to one of the kingdom's greatest failures!" Oobleck stated.

"Mountain Glenn." Ruby said.

"That's right! It was an expansion of Vale... but in the end it was overrun by Grimm and fenced off from the rest of the city." Yang stated.

"Correct! And now it stands abandoned as a dark reminder." Oobleck added.

"And a likely place for a hideout." Blake said, connecting the dots.

"Precisely!" Oobleck said, adjusting his glasses as he smiled.

-With The Konoha Representatives-

Sai sat silently on his bed as he held a small piece of paper in his hands. The others had gone off elsewhere, mostly to do their own thing, but not Sai. No, the pale boy had received a small paper from a messenger hummingbird, one of the few summoning contracts that came into ROOT possession.

'_ROOT has fallen._' was scribbled on the note, most likely from rushing to write it.

'What do I do now...?' Sai thought. ROOT had been his entire life up to a few months ago, and now that it was gone, he didn't know what his purpose was.

"Sai? What is that you got in your hands?" Yamato asked, entering the room and noticing the paper in Sai's hands.

"Something that Hokage-sama needs to know of immediately..." Sai responded, handing the note over to Yamato. After reading it over, Yamato's eyes widened before narrowing.

"I see. You're right, Sai, Hokage-sama needs to know of this right away." Yamato stated. 'Who could have pulled something like this off...?'

-Unknown Location-

A lone figure walked down the near silent corridors of what was once ROOT headquarters, laughing maniacally as he did so. The figure wore a dark red cloak with the hood up, a large white snake-like creature popping out from the bottom of it.

"I see that you've been quite busy." 'Madara' said, coming out from a spiralling vortex.

"Hmm, I see I've finally caught your attention." the cloaked man stated.

"And, pray tell, what would require you to catch my attention?" 'Madara' asked.

"I want to join you." the cloaked man said.

"And if I say no?" 'Madara' questioned. In response, the cloaked man formed a handsign, causing six open coffins to pop up.

"Hmm, interesting, but not enough to convince me." 'Madara' said.

"Fine, you give me no choice but to show my trump card." the cloaked man said, summoning a seventh coffin, causing 'Madara's' lone eye to widen in shock and surprise. "Ah, it seems that I've finally caught your attention."

"How did you get this?" 'Madara' demanded more than asked.

"Ah ah ah, that would be telling. It would be a shame if, per say, _this_ information were to be leaked, no?" the cloaked man said, seemingly grinning under the cloak.

"What do you hope to accomplish with this?" 'Madara' asked.  
"I intend to pick up where my master left off, and I have done so." the cloaked man said.

"Very well, welcome to the Akatsuki..." 'Madara' stated. "... Kabuto..."

-Mountain Glenn-

The airship came in over a spot of street amidst the ruined buildings and structures of the ruined area. It hovered right above the ground as Yang, Blake, Oobleck, Weiss, Ruby, Han, Roshi, and Fu all jumped out of the craft with their weapons drawn, all except for Oobleck, who simply held his coffee canister, before the ship flew away from the destruction.

"Children! You still may be students, but as of this moment, your first mission as Huntsmen has begun! From this point forward, you need to do exactly as I say! Do you understand?" Oobleck asked. The group nodded their heads, but Oobleck suddenly looked at Ruby, startling the red haired girl. "**Ruby**! I thought I told you to leave all of your bags back at school."

"But, uh, you hadn't told us to listen to you yet. So I didn't." Ruby replied.  
"She's not wrong..." Oobleck said to himself. "Very well, Ruby; leave your bag here, we can pick it up upon our return."

"But I, well uh-" Ruby said.

"Young lady, what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important to bring it with..." Oobleck said, but received his answer as the bag's zipper opened and out popped Zwei's head, causing everyone to stare at the uninvited guest.

"_Get back in the bag_..." Ruby whispered to her dog. Zwei merely barked in response.

"We're here to investigate an abandoned urban jungle teeming with death and hostility, and you brought... a _dog_?" Oobleck questioned.  
"I, uhh..." Ruby said.  
"_Genius_!" Oobleck exclaimed, backing away long enough for Ruby to give a confused shrug before speeding past and snatching the pet away from Ruby, who tumbled to the ground as Oobleck spun Zwei in the air. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heightened sense of sound, making them excellent companions for a search such as ours!" Zwei barked happily in his hands as the nutty professor spun him around.

"I'm a genius!" Ruby proudly stated, causing Weiss, Yang, Han, and Fu to facepalm at the grinning girl.

"So, what are your orders, Doctor?" Blake asked.  
"Ah, yes, straight to the chase; I like it!" Oobleck said, suddenly letting go of Zwei, suspending the dog in the air for less than a second before dropping down as Oobleck placed his hands behind his back for a serious pose. "As you've been informed, the southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now, there are several possible explanations for this behavior, one of which is being... Grimm."

"Uh, what?" Roshi asked, just as confused as the rest of the group.

"Grimm. A creature of Grimm approximately one hundred yards from us at this very moment." Oobleck stated.

"What?!" Yang exclaimed, the group turning to look at the lone Beowolf wandering into the street before joining the group in unleashing their weapons.  
"Stop!" Oobleck said.  
"Huh?" Fu questioned, lowering her twin tonfas like everyone else to listen.

"There are a number of reasons why Grimm will congregate in this particular area, the most likely of which will be their attraction to negativity: sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred. All qualities that are likely held by our hidden group harboring ill intent." Oobleck stated.

"So... What now?" Ruby asked.  
"We wait. We track. If this specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey." Oobleck replied.

"How long do we wait?" Blake asked.

"It's uncertain. Hours, days, weeks. Why, lone Grimm have been known to stay isolated from the pack for months at a time - and there's the whole pack." Oobleck said. His sudden realization is true: Five Beowolves were already following the first. "If we stay quiet enough, we can easily sneak away - and now they've seen us."

"What?!" Fu exclaimed.  
"**And now they've seen us**!" Oobleck yelled into Fu's ear.

"I take it tracking them is out of the question?" Han asked.  
"An accurate assumption, yes." Oobleck stated.

"What's the plan, then?" Yang asked, the group turning to their teacher as the creatures closed in.

"Show me what you're capable of." Oobleck said.

"Cover your ears, Zwei!" Ruby exclaimed, swinging Crescent Rose to prepare it for shooting, the dog doing as told, curling up into a ball.

A single Beowolf charged at a smiling Yang as she ran towards the beast, ending with the blond knocking it out in one fiery punch as they passed. Several stopped chasing after the party girl to focus on Blake, who stood and waited with her hand on her hilt until one of the enemies swiped at her afterimage, the real deal slicing her would-be attacker in half before slashing through another and cutting down on one more.

Behind the Faunus, Weiss ran from several black-coated beasts before jumping in the air and taking one down with Myrtenaster. She dashed towards them with her rapier held high and slaughtered four of them in a straight line until she stopped. A wave of Beowolves converged on Ruby, but the scythe wielder shot multiple bullets at the oncoming force... while Zwei was busy chasing his own tail. Roshi hopped from atop one Beowolf to another, firing off bullets midair and slashing while he could. Han swung his battleaxe upward at a Beowolf before slamming a fist coated in steam against another. Fu had already sprouted three pairs of insect wings, flying through the air and picking off any of the stray Beowolves left.

"Heh. Piece of cake!" Ruby said, lifting her weapon up.

"Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this is the first bout of many. Shall we continue?" Oobleck said.

-With Yang-

"Tell me, Yang: Why did you choose this line of work?" Oobleck questioned.

"Huh? Well, to fight monsters and save-" Yang replied.

"No, that is what you _do_. I want to know why you do it. The honest reason as to why you want to be a Huntress." Oobleck stated as he cut her off.

"The honest reason? I'm a thrill-seeker. I want to travel around the world and get wrapped up in as many crazy adventures as I can. And if I help people along the way, then that's even better. It's a win-win, y'know?" Yang stated.

"I see." Oobleck said.

-With Weiss-

"And you, Miss Schnee? A girl born into fame and fortune such as yourself certainly doesn't need the extra work. So... why choose this over a cushy job in Atlas?" Oobleck asked as he sat on a high windowsill writing in his journal while Weiss fought off Beowolves below.

"It's exactly as you said: I'm a Schnee. I have a legacy of honor to uphold. Once I realized I was capable of fighting, there was no longer a question of what I would do with my life. It was my duty." Weiss stated after impaling the last foe on her blade and dropping the body.

"Interesting." Oobleck stated.

-With Blake-

"And what about you, Blake? You seem to carry yourself with a sense of purpose." Oobleck asked as he examined the inside of a doorway.

"There's too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality, corruption... _Someone_ has to stop it." Blake replied.  
"Very well. How?" Oobleck questioned.  
"_I_, _Uh_..." Blake said, unable to answer.

"Hmm..." Oobleck said to himself before dashing away, leaving Blake to bow her head in troubled thought.

-With Fu-

"So what is your reason for becoming a Huntress?" Oobleck asked.

"From the very moment I could walk, I was taught how to fight. To defend the people who couldn't." Fu replied.

"But why not just start anew away from fighting?" Oobleck questioned.

"Because I don't want anyone else to experience the pain and oppression that I felt when I lived in Taki." Fu said before flying off.

"Good." Oobleck said mostly to himself.

-With Roshi-

"So, Roshi, why did you become a Huntsman?" Oobleck asked.

"Because I wanted to do something good with my life. So that people would acknowledge me." Roshi said shortly as he dodged a swipe from a Beowolf before charging at the beast.

"Intriguing..." Oobleck said.

-With Han-

"Why did you become a Huntsman?" Oobleck asked bluntly, his entire questioning having worn down throughout the day.

"I grew up around spiteful humans who always belittled and assaulted me. I want to prove them wrong, that I'm not a demon hellbent on despair and destruction. That I'm just me." Han said, staring out as the sun began to set.

"I see..." Oobleck murmured.

-With Ruby-

Later that day, Ruby was using her weapon in the most practical fashion and lifting a whole turkey on the sharp end of her gun to tease a jumping and flipping Zwei with. That is, until she spotted her teacher watching, quickly sheathing Crescent Rose.  
"Sorry! Uhh... Are we ready to keep going?" Ruby asked.

"Nope! I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon." Oobleck said, throwing his bag over to Yang, who made a sound when she caught it. "You three, set up camp in that building. The remaining members of Team RHFN, you secure the perimeter to see if there are any stray Grimm we missed. Team RWBY, your leader and I are going to have a little chat. Come, Ruby."

The duo started walking away from the rest of the group, the rest of Team RWBY looking at their leader, knowing what she'll be asked.

"Whaaaa..." Ruby said as they rounded the corner of a building to see the wide forest stretching below the ruin, and in the midst of it, a line of giant elephants with the black and white features of animals of darkness marched through the trees. "What _is_ that? It looks awesome!"

"That, my dear girl, is a Grimm." Oobleck replied.  
"Let's kill it." Ruby said, staring at the lumbering mass of monsters in amazement and awe before pulling out her gun.

"I'm afraid your sniper rifle will do nothing more than agitate a Grimm of that size." Oobleck stated.  
"But... What if it attacks us?" Ruby questioned.

"Fret not, Ruby; those Goliaths are not concerned with us. Ruby, not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is _still_ mindless." Oobleck said. "Let me tell you a story... A long time ago, the continents were once one. A great demon terrorized the lands, but the first Dust user, Prince Julius the Huntsman, defeat the great demon. And Grimm spawned forth from the defeated demon. Legend has it that the demon was split into three, it's energy, it's physical body, and it's soul. You see, the Grimm you see before you are so powerful, so superior to the Grimm you fought, that they've undoubtedly lived hundreds of years, and in that time between killing humans and attacking our borders, they have done one important thing: They've _learned_. They've learned that when they attack our borders, they're likely to die, and what we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that killing one human will only bring more." As he spoke, one Goliath swiveled its thick neck to look at the figures watching their procession, eyes glowing as fiery red as any other Grimm.  
"Then why are they still so close to the city? What are they doing?" Ruby asked.  
"All Grimm, no matter how intelligent, are still attracted to negative emotions. And the fact that they've seemed to ignore us means that there is an even bigger source of negative emotions out there." Oobleck stated. As he said this, the Goliath turned its head forward again and moved on with its kin. Oobleck turned around and walked away as well, and Ruby retracted her weapon, not moving.  
"Doctor Oobleck?" Ruby asked.  
"Hmm?" Oobleck said.

"I was wondering..." Ruby said.

"Wondering why I've been interrogating your teammates all day?" Oobleck stated.

"A-Actually, I was wondering... Why did _you_ want to become a Huntsman?" Ruby asked.

"Look around and tell me what you see." Oobleck said. Ruby did so as she looked around.

"Lots of old buildings, uh, empty streets..." Ruby said.  
"I see lives that could have been saved." Oobleck stated as he continued walking with Ruby beside him and Zwei at their heels. "As a Huntsman, it is my job to protect the people, and although I am capable of doing it with traditional weaponry, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. As a teacher, I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my classroom. I look at this wasteland, and I see lives that could have been saved, but I also see an opportunity to study these ruins and _learn_ from this tragedy, and therefore become stronger." He stopped walking and paused before speaking again. "I am a Huntsman, Ruby, because there is nothing else in the world I would rather be." he said before he continued walking.

-With Weiss, Yang, and Blake-

Back at the building, the team had done as instructed, building a fire in the center of the room and huddling around it or standing up.

"Alright, perimeter's secured." Roshi said as he, Han, and Fu walked in.

"I can't believe we didn't find _anything_..." Yang said.

"We've always been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. I guess we can't always have luck on our side." Blake stated.  
"Tch, we just can't seem to get rid of our luck. Both good and bad." Roshi said. "Well, I'm getting some shut eye while I can, I suggest you guys do the same."  
"Night guys." Fu said.

"Night." Han said. And with that, the three members of Team RHFN were asleep, exhaustion hitting them like a brick wall.

"That's not what I meant." Weiss said off-topic.

"Huh?" Blake said.  
"Earlier, about... upholding the legacy. There's more to it than that." Weiss stated.  
"Yeah... No, me too. I mean... I don't know." Yang said.

"I don't know, either. I know what I _want_ to do, but I figured I'd always take things one step at a time." Blake stated.  
"Well, it doesn't matter. _We_ know why we're here. Right?" Yang questioned. The girls merely stared in silence.

"Ah, wonderful; a textbook campfire!" Oobleck exclaimed, suddenly coming into the room.

"Fire!" Ruby exclaimed, coming in behind Oobleck and immediately sitting next to the blaze alongside Zwei. "So... warm..."

"Very good! Eat your dinners and hurry to bed, Team RHFN seems to have gotten a head start on that. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow and we'll need you to take turns keeping watch over our temporary abode. Any volunteers for first watch?" Oobleck asked.  
"Yo." Ruby said, lifting her arm while still looking into the fire. Oobleck nodded his head and rushed off before Ruby got up to go over to her lookout point.

"Hey, did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a Huntress? I mean... what did you tell him?" Yang asked as her sister passed.

"Hmm... No, he didn't. Weird. Oh, well; good night, guys!" Ruby said without a second carefree thought before continuing on her way.

Yang looked disappointed in the lack of an answer. Blake was similarly troubled as she unrolled her mat, Weiss tried lying down but failed to sleep, Yang half-heatedly ate her dinner of bread rolls. Soon, all three Huntresses were on their backs around the fire, weapons within easy access, wondering why they were there.

Ruby, meanwhile, was sitting in the vacant windowsill of the room as Zwei went over to her upon hearing the howling of Beowolves. She placed her hand on her pooch's back.

"Don't worry. We'll find him soon enough. Things will be better tomorrow." Ruby said, staring out at the fractured moon as she did so.

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Pillow Talk-

"Night guys." Fu said.

"Night." Han said. And with that, the three members of Team RHFN were asleep, exhaustion hitting them like a brick wall.

"... Yeah, that's it..." Roshi mumbled in his sleep, causing the three awake girls to look on in confusion.

"Roshi talks in his sleep?" Weiss questioned.

"That's right... Weiss... Open wide..." Roshi mumbled, causing Weiss's face to heat up, and Yang and Blake to snicker in amusement. "Yeah... That's it... That's how... You eat ramen..." At this, the trio of girls facefaulted.

"Roshi... Roshi! Wake up, you're talking in your sleep." Weiss said.

"I'm not asleep yet." Roshi said with a grin on his face.

* * *

Short Story Start

The Maelstrom Hunter- Remnants of the Past Finale

Part IV- The Final Battle

Kaguya's eyes widened, the soul of the Shinju attempting to escape its demise by releasing its true form. A large raging beast with ten tails shot forth, Kaguya's physical body being absorbed into the massive statue-like beast. Hagoromo and Julius jumped back to evade one of the massive hands of the beast slamming down on the place they once stood.

"Brother!" Julius exclaimed.

"We can't slay the beast. Thine own power shalt not be enough." Hagoromo stated.

"Then what doth thou suggest we do?" Julius asked.

"Let a plan of mine conjure from my mind first, brother." Hagoromo said, dodging a swipe from one of the beast's tails.

"Thou must makest haste with thine plan, time is of the essence." Julius stated, shooting a fiery ball of Dust at the Shinju.

"I knoweth so, brother..." Hagoromo said. Suddenly, it came to him. "I knoweth what to do!"  
"Well, then, brother, speaketh your mind, I have not all day!" Julius exclaimed, barely dodging the Shinju's fist.

"We split the beast in four. One of mind, of body, and twice energy." Hagormo explained.

"And, pray tell, where shalt we store the one of mind and of body?" Julius asked.

"Remembereth thine gift?" Hagoromo questioned.

"Of course! Thine own gift with mine should be enough to do so." Julius stated. The two brothers charged forward, Hagormo thrusting his right hand forward while Julius's left hand shot forward.

"Rikudou: Waru Chibaku Tensei (Six Paths: Dividing Heavenly Body Bursting From The Earth)!" the duo exclaimed their hands making contact with the massive beast. The ground around the Shinju started gravitating towards the massive beast seconds before the two brothers jumped back. The ground kept compressing around the Shinju, forming a sphere large enough to be considered a giant moon. A large crack started forming across the land before the massive continent began to divide, a mile-wide gap forming in the matter of seconds.

Finally, a large moon floated in the air. Hagoromo and Julius breathed heavily in exhaustion.

"We did it, brother..." Julius said. Before he could get a response, a rumbling sound was heard, putting the duo on edge. Black energy shot out of the large moon, growing larger and larger until the large moon was split into two, one of the two moons appeared to be fractured, and from the black energy that touched the ground, various dark beasts spawned forth, each one was similar to a regular animal, but was coated in pitch black skin with white masks with red markings. Luckily for the exhausted brothers, the beasts appeared on the other side of the divided continent.

-One Week Later-

"Art thou certain of thine choice?" Hagoromo asked. The brothers had spent the good majority of the week resting and recovering. The black beasts had gone off shortly after appearing, to parts of the continent unbeknownst to the duo.

"I am as certain as ever." Julius replied. The young prince had decided to take it upon himself to teach the people trapped on what would be latter dubbed "The Dark Continent" how to defend themselves against these strange black creatures.

"Then I wish thou good fortune in thine travels." Hagoromo said, pulling Julius into an arm hug.

"And thine journeys as well." Julius said, walking over to a small dingy that rested on the shores of the newly divided continent. He gave one last wave to his brother before pushing the boat out to sea, to The Dark Continent.

"Fare well... brother..." Hagoromo whispered.

Short Story End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDD DONE! The finale to Remnants of the Past! Coming soon: Legends From The Dark Continent.**

**My school's Homecoming game is tomorrow, I can't wait to see the chaos that follows the hours prior to it. I also have begun writing a short story for something for my school. It's going to be a horror/suspense story that's completely unrelated to any fanfiction work that I've done before, and it will also be my first attempt at writing a horror/suspense story, so wish me luck.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! In the immortal words of... well, me:**

**"Read and Review!"**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	25. Chapter 25- Mountain Glenn

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllloooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Happy 25th chapter-versary and happy Post-Halloween! 25 chapters is a milestone for me in fanfiction writing. Also, to any of you guys who are reading these ANs, I am issuing an artistic challenge. To any of you who want to take up this challenge, just send me a PM as soon as possible.**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**OBSERVER01- Yep. Danzo is out of the picture, but if you've seen the latter episodes of Naruto Shippuden, Orochimaru is only temporarily dead. The last omake I did was actually based off of the Key &amp; Peele camping sketch. As for Naruto's escape, don't worry, you'll see. I have a dastardly plan that relates to the art challenge I issued above.**

**ChaosDivine02- Yes, I've heard that the manga for Naruto Shippuden is almost done T_T.**

**Dragon and Sword Master- The one trend that I've noticed that's in every single story of mine, is that everything is connected. And when I mean everything, I mean **_**everything**_**. I like to base the majority of what I write on logic, well, fictional logic at least.**

* * *

**And Now, I Give You The Next Chapter of TMH! Enjoy! Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Beacon Academy Landing Docks-

James Ironwood looked out from the landing docks to the city of Vale at night, a few airships hovering over the lit-up buildings.  
"Trouble sleeping?" Glynda called out, walking up from behind Ironwood.

"Arm was acting up." Ironwood stated, gripping his left arm with his right hand.

"Of course, so logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." Glynda stated, sarcasm present in her voice. "What's wrong?"

"I've trusted him for years. We both have. I just... I can't help but feel like he's keeping us in the dark." Ironwood replied.

"Don't be ridiculous! You know very well that _we_ are not the ones in the dark." Glynda said, causing Ironwood to laugh humorously.  
"That makes it _worse_! I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so... passively." Ironwood said.

"You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable." Glynda stated, putting a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "But it's high time you stopped talking about trust and started showing it. Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack. And I think that's something worth remembering."

-Amegakure, Elemental Nations-

"And what will I get out of this?" Kabuto asked. The snake-like man had forgone his dark red cloak, opting to wear the standard Akatsuki cloak instead, as he walked through the damp streets of the hidden village.

"Well, what exactly do you want?" 'Madara' questioned.

"I want Sasuke Uchiha. My master may not have been able to learn the secret to creating Sharingan, but that just means that I will finish it in place of him." Kabuto replied.

"If that is all, you have yourself a deal." 'Madara' said. "How long will it take?"

"Hmm, well, it certainly will take some time. Your request isn't exactly the easiest to fulfill." Kabuto stated.

"I didn't ask how difficult the request is, I asked how long it will take." 'Madara' stated.

"Without the bodies, I'd say two, maybe three weeks." Kabuto said.

"Two to three weeks?" 'Madara' questioned.

"Raising an army of the shinobi you requested isn't something that happens over night." Kabuto stated.

"Very well, I shall give you three weeks. No more, no less." 'Madara' stated before disappearing in a spiralling vortex.

-White Fang Headquarters-

'Madara' reappeared in the same fashion as he left inside of the prison he kept Naruto.

"Soon enough, the Kyuubi shall be in my grasps..." 'Madara' muttered. A few seconds later, the sound of high heels clicking alerted 'Madara' to the arrival of another person.

"What is it that you need, Cinder?" 'Madara' asked.

"You promised me that you would let him fix the seal on her before you extracted the Kyuubi." Cinder stated.

"Ah, yes, I did, didn't I?" 'Madara' questioned. "Well, no matter. After we extract the beast, we can have him fix the seal on your subordinate."

"You're lying to me! When a Jinchūriki has their Bijuu extracted they die!" Cinder exclaimed.

"You would not be able to handle the truth." 'Madara' stated.

"Stop lying to me! I want to know if the boy will fix the seal on Emerald!" Cinder said.

"You want the truth? Fine. I lied. I never intended to let the Kyuubi Jinchūriki fix the seal on your subordinate, but your cooperation was necessary for my plans." 'Madara' said bluntly, walking to the shocked Cinder. "You are still a valuable asset, but you are still nonetheless replaceable. I do hope you understand that." With the threat still lingering, 'Madara' walked out of the doorway. If he were to turn around, he would have seen Cinder's narrowed eyes.

"That's it..." Cinder murmured to herself, directing her anger at 'Madara'.

-Mountain Glenn, Hours Later-

Yang had taken up watch about an hour ago, allowing Ruby and Zwei to sleep on the sleeping bag Yang had been lying on. Zwei suddenly woke and stood up, causing Ruby to wake up as well.

"Huh? Zwei, it's late. Go back to bed." Ruby muttered before Zwei ran off. "Zwei! Zwei! Ugh!" she said, wandering out of the building in search for Zwei. Unbeknownst to Ruby, as well as the rest of the group, a pair of yellow-orange eyes watched the young red haired girl follow her dog.

"Zwei! Zwei, where are you? Zwei! Huh?" Ruby said, spotting Zwei urinating on some ruins. "Zwei, this is a wasteland! You literally could have done that anywhere!"

"_Bark!_" Zwei exclaimed.

"What was that?" a new voice called out. Having heard the new unfamiliar voice, Ruby hid behind some ruins.

"I thought I heard a Beowolf or something." another voice said. Ruby peaked her head around the ruins to find that the voices belong to two White Fang guards. She was so focused on the two guards that she didn't notice a third guard sneak up behind her until it was too late.

"Hey! What are you doing out here?" the third guard questioned, grabbing Ruby and hauling her out into the open.

"Where did she come from?" the first guard asked.

"Hey! Hands off!" Ruby exclaimed.

"This boss is gonna want to see this one..." the second guard stated. Before they could proceed any further, a black rigid arrow was lodged in his neck, sending him crumpling to the ground dead. The remaining guards quickly forgot about Ruby in favor of getting into defensive stances.

"Who's out there?!" the first guard called out. "Show yourself!" The only response he got was a fireball being sent his way, burning the man to a crisp and a painful death.

"That's it! I'm out of here!" the third guard yelled, dropping his gun and running in the opposite direction of the attacks. After running a few yards, an ice shard shot into his back, expanding into a larger ice crystal upon impact. The large ice crystal that came out of the guard had ruptured several vital organs and the man was bleeding profusely, dieing out in nearly a minute. Ruby stared in shock at the brutal deaths of the three White Fang members, when the sound of heels clicking was heard. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, Ruby's eyes went from shock to both shock and surprise.

"You!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I need you help..." Cinder said calmly, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Why should I?! You're the one responsible for all of this!" Ruby exclaimed, reaching for her Crescent Rose.

"I am but a pawn in an even larger chess game." Cinder stated. "Please! This concerns your friend!" At this, Ruby froze, though still kept her hand on Crescent Rose in caution.

"You mean Naruto?" Ruby asked with narrowed eyes. "Weren't you the one who kidnapped him in the first place?"

"I needed his help! My daughter, she needs the help of a fuinjutsu expert that is on the level of an Uzumaki. I was promised that he would fix my daughter's seal before his Bijuu was extracted." Cinder replied, her voice slightly pleading. "I just wanted to save my daughter!"

"... I'll help you. But only to get Naruto back." Ruby replied after a few seconds.

"This way!" Cinder motioned for Ruby to follow.

"Wait, what about the rest of my team?" Ruby questioned.

"Don't worry, I know how to get their attention." Cinder stated, pulling out three vials of fire Dust and forming a gargantuan fireball before firing it at a nearby abandoned building.

"Alright. But just in case, Zwei, go get the others!" Ruby said. Zwei running off to find the rest of the group.

-With Yang-

The blond bombshell of Team RWBY was leaning against a wall, her eyes barely open as she nearly fell asleep.

"*Boom!*" was the resonating sound that made Yang fully awake.

"Guys! There was a big explosion!" Yang exclaimed, awaking the rest of the group.

"What are you talking about Yang?" Weiss asked with a yawn.

"Someone else is out there!" Yang replied, the rest of the group arming themselves before heading out to find the source of the explosion.  
"_Bark!_" Zwei called out, catching the group's attention.

"Zwei? What are you doing out here?" Yang asked.

"_Bark! Bark!_" Zwei exclaimed, running around in a circle and running off towards the source of the explosion, the group following the dog.

-With Ruby and Cinder-

Meanwhile, the odd duo hacked, slashed, burned, shot, and froze anything that came in their path, finally making their way to a familiar building.

"He's right in here! We just need to release the barrier!" Cinder stated, rushing inside the building, Ruby following in shortly after.

"It looks like a chakra barrier thingy! I don't know how to break these things!" Ruby exclaimed.

"You might not, but I do!" Cinder said, forming a familiar t-shaped handsign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" she exclaimed, forming four more Cinders.

"You're from the Elemental Nations!" Ruby exclaimed in shock. "But how?"  
"Oh please, did you really think that your little friends were the first ones to cross over beyond the Oki no Okunote? No, the two civilizations have crossed paths long before the official 'discovery'." Cinder stated, placing her hand on the seal tag in front of her.

"Mom!" a new voice exclaimed. Ruby and Cinder saw Mercury and Emerald running up to them.

"Hey, aren't you two part of the students from Haven?" Ruby questioned.

"No, that was just a cover up." Mercury replied. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Yes, Cinder. What _is_ going on?" 'Madara' asked, appearing a few dozen yards away from the group. A few seconds later, Cinder pulled the seal tag off of the wall, causing the ethereal chakra barrier to dissolve before Ruby rushed to the still unconscious Naruto.

"Mercury, Emerald, I need you to take these two and run. Run as far away from this place as you can!" Cinder exclaimed.

"Mom-!" Emerald exclaimed.

"Hurry!" Cinder exclaimed. The group did as told, Ruby picking up Naruto and following Mercury and Cinder. Cinder watched the four leave before turning her attention back to 'Madara'.

"You are a fool to try and defy me!" 'Madara' yelled.

"No! I am but a fool for not doing this sooner!" Cinder exclaimed, forming several flaming orbs that resembled small suns. "Shakuton: Kajōsatsu (Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder)!" she yelled, firing off the feiry orbs at 'Madara'. The orbs of fire did nothing but phase right through the infamous Uchiha. Just as the the last fire orb passed through 'Madara', Cinder appeared a foot away from him, forming a couple of handsigns. "Shakuton: Bureijingu Kōhai (Scorch Release: Blazing Devastation)!" Cinder exclaimed, releasing a torrent of red flames point blank at 'Madara', whose Sharingan morphed into a strange pinwheel-like pattern.

"Kamui (Authority of the Gods)!" 'Madara' exclaimed, a swirling vortex absorbing the majority of the red flames, though not enough to stop the attack from hitting him, causing a large explosion to envelope both of them.

When the smoke cleared, both shinobi were in terrible condition. Cinder's dress had scorch marks, scratches, and a few bits and pieces torn, blood dripping from her right forearm as she panted heavily in exhaustion. 'Madara' was not faring any better, in fact, he was by far more injured than Cinder. His entire right arm was missing, a strange white substance dripping out of the base of the arm, his Akatsuki cloak was missing it's right sleeve, and most importantly, the upper part of his orange spiral mask was destroyed, revealing that the entire right half of his face was scarred.

"Shakuton: Shōkyaku Furea no Jutsu (Scorch Release: Incinerating Flare Technique)!" Cinder exclaimed, using up the majority of her remaining chakra to form several flaming orbs that combined to form a single massive one, which shot forward at 'Madara', incinerating everything in its path. After the technique dispersed, 'Madara' was nowhere to be found.

"I... I did it..." Cinder said before her eyes widened, mouth slightly agape as a plain katana was impaled through her heart. "But... how...?"

"Izanagi..." 'Madara' muttered, his left Sharingan eye closing after he finished speaking. "Even as you defy me, you will still have your resourcefulness... as part of the Edo Tensei (Impure World Resurrection) army!"

Those were the last words that Cinder heard as the light began to leave her eyes, her last thoughts being on her two children as she slumped over dead.

-With Naruto, Ruby, Emerald, and Mercury-

Ruby and Emerald followed Mercury, the former carrying her still unconscious boyfriend.

"There should be an exit this way!" Mercury said whilst running, a small silence permeating the group.

"So wait, if your mother was from the Elemental Nations, does that mean you guys are from there as well?" Ruby asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, Cinder took us in and brought us out here, away from the EC." Mercury stated.

"Cinder, I think that's her name, she mentioned something about her daughter needing an Uzumaki fuinjutsu master. What's that all about?" Ruby asked.

"My sister here has a seal on her that needs fixing." Mercury replied. "This way's the exit!" he exclaimed, pushing a pair of large metal doors open, the sunlight beamed brightly at the sudden change of lighting.

"Dammit! Why did it have to be _this_ exit!" Emerald yelled.

"What do you mean?!" Ruby questioned.

"This exit doesn't lead into the ruins, it leads into the wilderness!" Mercury exclaimed.

"Which way did they go?!" the voice of a White Fang guard called out.

"I think they went this way!" another White Fang guard exclaimed.

"I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter!" Ruby said. Before the three could prepare to fight, the earth beneath them shook, causing them to pause. The earth shook once again, then a third time, then a fourth. And soon enough, the rumbling brought sight to a familiar looking, rather large Grimm.

"Crap! Goliaths!" the first White Fang guard exclaimed.

"We gotta get out of here!" the second White Fang member yelled.

"What about the Jinchūriki and the three others?" a third member asked.

"To hell with them! I'd rather live, thank you very much!" the first guard exclaimed.

"Goliaths?! They've never come this close to the base before!" Emerald exclaimed. Before they could say anything else, the earth began shaking as five Goliaths came through the thicket of tropical trees and approached the four Huntsmen-in-training, who froze up rigid as the massive beasts of Grimm came closer and closer.

"**Come...**" a booming gruff voice called out, causing the three awake members of the group to look on in confusion before looking at the first Goliath closest to them. "**Come... with... us... Safe... Elder... meet...**" the first Goliath said, Ruby, Emerald, and Mercury's eyes widening in shock.

"It can talk?" Mercury questioned.

"Doctor Oobleck _did_ say that there were some Grimm that got smarter over hundreds of years." Ruby stated.

"**Hurry... Much... discuss... Elder...**" the Goliath stated before marching off, motioning for the group to follow.

"I... I don't know about this..." Mercury hesitated.  
"If those Grimm wanted to kill us, they would have done it by now." Emerald stated, walking off after the Goliaths.

"It's either them or the White Fang and Akatsuki." Ruby said, following Emerald.

"..." Mercury said nothing, but followed after his sister and Ruby.

-With The Rest of Team RWBY, Team RHFN, and Doctor Oobleck-

"Oh no." Blake said, Zwei having lead the group to a large sinkhole.

"Do you think she fell?" Weiss asked.  
"Fell?" Oobleck questioned.

"Down there." Roshi stated.  
"Oh my." Oobleck said, looking down the hole to see various abandoned buildings and a scarred battlefield. "Of course! Of course, OF COURSE, OF COURSE!"

"What is it?" Fu asked.

"How could I be so stupid?!" Oobleck muttered to himself.  
"Dr. Oobleck, what's wrong?" Han asked.  
"Mountain Glenn! Yes, an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by creatures of Grimm! Previously home to thousands of people! Working people commuting to the city, the main city! Developed a subway system to the inner city! Grimm attacks increased! Population in danger, now desperately searching for shelter! City evacuates into the metro tunnels and what do they find? The southeast quadrant of Vale is known for wild forests and deep caves!" Oobleck exclaimed.

"Doc, what are you saying?" Yang asked.

"My dear, we're not just looking for an underground crime network, we're looking for an UNDERGROUND crime network!" Oobleck stated.

"They've been working in caves?" Blake questioned.  
"No, no, Mountain Glenn was Vale's first serious attempt at expansion. It worked for a short period of time, thanks to an aggressive perimeter defense, and unique transportation; the city developed an elaborate subway system to carry citizens safely from the new territory into the main Kingdom! Sadly, without the many natural barriers Vale had to protect its borders, Mountain Glenn was doomed from the start! As the end drew near, the citizens of the territory made one last attempt at survival: They took up shelter beneath the city! In massive caves that they had cleared out for the subway. And they had cut themselves off from the surface!" Oobleck explained.

"An underground village?" Han questioned.

"In a matter of speaking, yes. A safe haven. Until... an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern, filled with subterranean Grimm. After that, the Kingdom officially sealed off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb. If Ruby and Naruto are down there..." Oobleck started, pulling out his thermos as it morphed into a club. "We must find them..."

Chapter End

* * *

-Omake, Doctor Oobleck's Odd Weapon-

Five seconds later, Roshi spoke.

"So... your thermos is your weapon?" Roshi questioned.  
"Yes." Oobleck replied.

"And you use Dust in your weapon?" Roshi continued.

"Yes." Oobleck repeated.

"... So you've been drinking Dust with your coffee this whole time?" Roshi asked.

"Well, for the past five years, yes." Oobleck stated.

"Why only the past five years?" Weiss questioned.

"Well, before that..." Oobleck started.

-Five Years Ago-

"Run! Run for your lives!" a random person exclaimed.

"He's coming this way! He's coming this way!" another person shouted. John Ozpin just stood off to the side and watched the people flee in the direction he came from.

"Excuse me, but what are you running from?" Ozpin asked, grabbing a random person to answer the question.

"It's Oobleck! He's found his stash of-!" the man started, but saw something behind Ozpin that made his eyes widen. "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" he yelled before running off.

"His stash of what?!" Ozpin called out.

"Mah stash of Red Grimm! _WHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEE_!" Oobleck yelled, literally bouncing off the walls of adjacent buildings. "I CAN SEE SIDEWAYS IN TIME! EMIT NI SYAWEDIS EES NAC I!"

"Are you okay...?" Ozpin asked.

"OF COURSE I'M OKAY! THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD HIDE MAH STASH OF ENERGY DRINKS FROM ME! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I CAN TASTE COLORS! Oobleck exclaimed, spinning in a circle as he spoke, his speeds matching that of a train's.

"I don't think that energy drinks are the best thing for someone like you." Ozpin stated, taking a sip of his coffee. "Try coffee with some Dust in it. Gives you the energy jump you need for most situations."

-Present Day-

"-And that's when I came up with the idea of making a thermos-bat." Oobleck finished, causing the others to sweatdrop, even Zwei.

"But how did you get over your addiction to energy drinks?" Han asked.

"Get over my wha?" Oobleck questioned. "Oh, I never did. It's just that there has never been another energy drink within a fifty mile radius of me since."

"..." the rest of the group stood silent at the answer.

"_Ooookkaayyy_..." Roshi said.

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDD DONE! Yes, I just did that. I killed off Cinder. I really can't believe that I just pulled a Kishimoto on myself (Definition of "Pulling a Kishimoto": Killing off a main character. Relatable Sayings: "Dropping a Game of Thrones", "Clipping the Caged Bird", etc.).**

**Also, as I said above in the AN, I am issuing an art challenge for those who are interested. PM me if you are interested.**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	26. Chapter 26- No Brakes

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllloooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! I know it's been a bit since I updated this story, I've been getting some complaints about the lack of updates, but there is a reasonable explanation for that: I was on vacation. It's true, really. I was off the grid for two weeks, relaxing and having fun in the sun on a Disney cruise. I now have come back to a shit ton of school work that I missed.**

**Also, Happy Post Thanksgiving, or as I, like many others call it, Black Friday.**

* * *

**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**ChaosDivine02- I really have no explanation as to how Obito got a Sharingan for his left eye, I just got the idea from the Konan vs. Obito episode. As for the Goliaths, you'll see...**

**buterflypuss- Team RHFN is still with Team RWBY (minus Naruto and Ruby).**

**DJJJ1172- PLOT TWIST indeed. And congratulations on figuring out that Emerald has something sealed in her. And as for Raven, I have a plan... I have a plan for everything in this story...**

**Scarlatina- And I wanted to see Konan live, but it's obvious we both got the short end of that stick.**

**GreatZero- I have no clue what this Irish Coffee is, but if it has something to do with turning into a miniature energizer bunny, then Oobleck's coffee is exactly, if not so, then greater than the energy boost of Irish coffee.**

**Operator Blake 'Roxasrock- With what I have planned, Naruto will have something that will compensate for the Perfect Tailed Beast State. For now, at least.**

**BlueMageKnight- I had to do it! I had no choice in the matter (*Peers over shoulder nervously to find puppet strings coming out of back and connecting to Kishimoto's hands, a dark chuckle escaping his lips as he looked onward*)! I had no choice in the matter...**

* * *

**And Now, Without Further Delay, I Bring You Chapter 26! Read And Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-With Naruto, Ruby, Mercury, and Emerald-

Mercury, Emerald, Ruby, and Naruto rode atop a pair of Goliaths to their unknown destination, Ruby having placed Naruto's head on her lap and started running her hand through his golden locks of hair.

"So, do you mind, gee, I don't know, _telling_ us where you Grimm are leading us?!" Mercury called out.

"**Elder... Discuss... Elder...**" the Goliath Mercury and Emerald rode atop of said.

"You keep saying Elder, what is this Elder you speak of?" Emerald questioned.

"**Almost... Arrive... Elder... Discuss...**" the Goliath stated. Suddenly, Naruto began to stir.

"Ngh..." Naruto mumbled, his eyes gradually opening and closing before he tried to sit up.

"Naruto!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Ruby..." Naruto said. "Where... Where am I...?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty." Mercury stated. "Enjoy your sleep during our little camping trip?" Naruto blinked, having recognized the person speaking from somewhere, but was not certain from where. So, Naruto did what one would do in the best course of actions.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Naruto exclaimed comically.

"I'm your fairy-freaking-godmother - I'm Mercury, you dumbass! Where you been this whole time? Under a rock?" Mercury exclaimed.

"The last thing I remember was being knocked out by that orange mask-wearing asshole! So yeah! Could someone fill me in on what's going on! For kami's sake! Why the hell are we on inverted-colored elephants!" Naruto yelled.

"No offense, Ruby, but your boyfriend's an idiot." Emerald deadpanned.

"None taken." Ruby said, deadpanning as well as she and Emerald watched Naruto and Mercury argue in a comical fashion.

"**Arrived... Here...**" the Goliath in the front stated, catching the attention of all four members of the group. "**Cannot... Go... Further... By... Foot... Elder... Discuss...**"

"Oh my kami! These things can talk?!" Naruto exclaimed. The Goliath that spoke before seemed to stare at Naruto, giving off what was likely a deadpanned expression.

"Well then, it appears that we'll have to travel by foot from here on out." Emerald stated.

"That's the thing, where _are_ we going? You guys still haven't told me." Naruto asked.

"Long story short, we got help from these Goliaths with escaping the White Fang, and apparently they're taking us to some 'Elder'." Ruby replied.

"**Come this way, children...**" an ancient, wise, gruff-sounding voice boomed. Naruto, Mercury, Ruby, and Emerald all felt compelled to follow the voice, and did so, walking in the direction the voice came from.

-Mountain Glenn-

"You idiots! How could you let them get away?!" Roman yelled at the three White Fang members.

"It wasn't our fault! Those Goliaths came _really_ close to the base! Closer than usual!" the first White Fang member exclaimed.

"I don't care if the Goliaths came up and started waltzing with you! Do you realize how pissed _he_ is going to be when-!" Roman started, but was cut off when a massive explosion was heard off in the distance, causing him to look up. "Oh, what the... Perry, if you and the boys could take care of that while I try to figure out how I'm going to explain your screw-up to _him_."

The second guard quickly nodded his head before going off to investigate the explosion just as another one went off.

"_WHAT_ is going on here?!" Roman exclaimed in annoyance as a third explosion wend off, multiple White Fang members running around the corner shortly after, some firing at an unknown enemy. Weiss, Blake, Yang, Roshi, Han, Fu, Zwei, and Oobleck came running around the corner, much to Roman's annoyance. The orange-haired criminal turned his attention to the three present members of Team RHFN, his eyes narrowing in the process. "Three Jinchūriki together... _He_ is going to want to know about this..."

"I already know about this." 'Madara' called out, appearing right behind Roman.

"Lord 'Madara'! What the hell happened to you? You look like shit." Roman stated, taking notice of 'Madara's' damaged outfit.

"Cinder tried to foolishly betray me. She won't be a problem any longer." 'Madara' stated, causing Roman to shiver slightly. Roman despised Cinder, there was no doubt about it. But she had more authority with 'Madara' than he did. So for her to be just another tied-up loose-end reminded Roman of his own expendability. "I trust that this problem will be handled."

"But what about the Jinchūriki?" Roman questioned.

"I will send one of my Akatsuki members to handle them." 'Madara' said. "And also, the plan shall move ahead of schedule."

"Yes sir!" Roman exclaimed before turning to the remaining White Fang member next to him. "Attach this cart and spread the word: We're starting the train."  
"But we're not finished!" the White Fang member exclaimed.  
"Do it or you're finished!" Roman yelled, pinning the White Fang member up against the wall with his cane, Melodic Cudgel, before releasing the Faunus.

-With Team RWBY, Team RHFN, Zwei, and Oobleck-

A dozen White Fang members were sent flying through the air, courtesy of Yang's Ember Celica. Though, the girl's focus was elsewhere at the moment.

"Ruby! Ruby! Ruuuuubbbbbyyyy!" Yang called out.

"Relax a bit, Yang. Ruby's a big girl, she can handle herself just fine." Fu stated.

"Besides, we've got bigger problems to deal with at the moment. This train is loaded with all kinds of robots and kami knows what else." Roshi said, jerking his head to the train behind him that held a whole rack of inactive Paladins.

"Ahhhh, that's ridiculous. These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead-end." Oobleck stated.

"Get to your places, we are leaving now!" Roman yelled across a speaker system as the train started moving towards the tunnel.

"We need to find out where Ruby is. Let me try calling her." Yang said, trying to dial up Ruby on her Scroll. Unfortunately, the Scroll flashed 'Low Signal'. "I can't get through!"  
"So, what do we do?" Weiss asked.  
"I believe we only have one option..." Oobleck said.

"We're stopping that train!" Roshi exclaimed before leaping off after the slowly speeding up train, the others following shortly after.

-With Naruto, Ruby, Emerald, and Mercury-

As the four Huntsmen-in-training moved closer and closer to the source of the ancient voice, they could not help but notice the drop in temperature occur. All four of them started shivering slightly.

"W-What's with the temperature drop?" Emerald questioned.

"F-Forget that, what's with the snow and ice?" Mercury asked, taking notice of the patches of snow and ice that littered the sides of their path.

"**My deepest apologies, I had quite forgotten how you humans could not handle the extreme cold.**" the same ancient voice called out. The four pairs of eyes turned their heads to see something that very few could say they saw. Standing a dozen kilometers away was a large dragon the size of a mountain. The dragon had blue scales, ice-like plating, pale blue draconic eyes, and a noticeable scar going down its right eye. It had two human-like, yet still draconic arms, two bipedal legs, a large dragon tail, and two massive dragon wings that would easily be considered longer than a dozen train cars.

"Woah..." Mercury said in awe at the sight.

"What are you?" Naruto questioned. "Are you a Grimm?"

"**It is true, I am what you humans have come to call 'a creature of Grimm'. But unlike the ones you have encountered previously, I have lived for so long that with the knowledge I had acquired over centuries upon centuries, I am fully capable of communicating with your species. But to answer your first question, I am the oldest living Grimm in existence. Many call me the Elder, you may call me Draco.**" the icy dragon, now identified as Draco, stated.

"Oldest living Grimm in existence? How old are you exactly?" Ruby questioned.  
"**Hmm... Well, the first major event I recall was the division of Pangea - but that happen so long ago, not even your human records go that far back. Back when the legends of old were happening right before my eyes... Back when I was but a young hatchling...**" Draco said, mumbling that last part to himself before shaking his head. "**But that is not why I called you here.**"

"Why did you call us here in the first place anyways?" Naruto asked.

"**Not all of you, just you two: Naruto Uzumaki, Emerald Sustrai...**" Draco said.

"What?! Why?" Naruto questioned.

"**Only those who have taken in the fragments that the brothers divided from **_**it**_** have the power to stop **_**its**_** return.**" Draco stated.  
"Fragments from _it_? What is _it_ exactly?" Emerald asked.

"**He's talking about my brothers and sisters as well as myself, kit.**" Kurama explained.

'Kyuubi?! What is he talking about?' Naruto mentally asked.

"**This is something that my siblings and I have dreaded since our first days in this world.**" Kurama stated. "**I... I'd rather not talk about it, we all lost someone close to us during those days.**"

'I'll ask Draco then...' Naruto mentally said.

"**... Thank you, kit...**" Kurama whispered, grateful that his container didn't push for more information from him.

"**The fragments are the original nine creatures that the eldest brother created from his half of the God Tree. The eldest gave his people the power to manifest the combination of physical and spiritual energy, while the younger gave his people the power to defend against the first Grimm that spawned forth into the world.**" Draco explained.

"Ninjutsu..." Naruto said in realization.

"Dust..." Mercury added.

"**Hmm... Close, but the eldest did not create ninjutsu, nor was the younger's primary gift Dust. In order, their gifts were Ninshuu and Aura.**" Draco corrected. "**But what I remember most about them, was their titles... Rikudou, and the Aura King...**"

"The Rikudou Sennin?!/**Rikudou-jiji?!**" Naruto/Kurama exclaimed. "The first one, I've heard of. But the Aura King? Never heard of him."

"**That's because containers of the fragments can only hail from the eldest's continent.**" Draco stated.

"You keep saying fragments and how we 'containers' hail from this continent or whatever. But the only thing I contain is the furball and-" Naruto started, but realized what the elder dragon was talking about before he finished his sentence. "The Bijuu?!"

"**Indeed. Though it is to be said, I can only feel half of two of the fragments inside you two.**" Draco pointed out. "**I sense one of Yin and another of Yang energy.**"

"**He's right. Your bastard of a father split my energy in half before sealing me into you. He took the Yin energy while you got stuck with the Yang energy.**" Kurama stated.

"The Kyuubi just told me that his energy was split into Yin and Yang before he was sealed into me, and that I got the Yang half." Naruto spoke. "But what Yin energy are you talking about, Ryu-jiji?"

"**Can you not sense the energy of your sibling, ninth?**" Draco asked, directing the question to Kurama.

"**Kit, I need you to enter Sage Mode for a minute.**" Kurama said.

'Alright.' Naruto mentally replied, getting into a meditative stance as he began gathering the natural energy around him. A few seconds later, a familiar orange pigment appeared above Naruto's eyes, his golden bar eyes snapping open in shock and surprise. He shot straight up and pointed accusingly at Emerald. "You're a Jinchūriki?!"

"... I contain the Yin half of the Nanabi." Emerald said after a minute of silence.

"But... Fu-" Naruto started.

"I believe it would be best to start from the beginning..." Emerald stated.

_Flashback Start_

_The sound of two crying infants could be heard throughout the small shack. A pale, yet still tanned skin woman with long, straight mint green hair that went to the middle of her back, and had dark red eyes smiled as she held a pair of infants in her arms. The first infant had tanned skin and a patch of mint green hair, just like her mother. The second infant, however, had green hair that was a shade darker than the first infant, along with slightly darker skin tone._

_"Congratulations, two perfectly healthy girls. Twins, I believe." the brunette midwife stated. A hand was placed on the new mother's shoulder, only for her to see the man that she had fallen in love with and had children with. The man stood at 5'9" wearing a plain black kimono with a white datejime and dark grey hakama. He had bright orange eyes, a slightly darker tan than his wife, and white hair._

_"Fu..." the woman said as she looked at the first infant in her hands. "Emerald..." she said as she motioned to the second infant. At the mention of their names, the two infants stopped crying and opened their eyes for the first time, revealing that the first infant had orange eyes like her father, while the second infant had dark red eyes like her mother. "Fu and Emerald Sustrai..."_

_"Welcome into the world, Emerald, Fu!" the father said with a large smile on his face._

_"How touching of a moment this is..." a new voice called out, causing the three adult occupants of the room to stiffen at the new presence. "It's almost a shame that I have to ruin it."_

_"Who's out there?! Show yourself!" the father called out, pulling out a hidden kunai he had on him._

_"Now now, no need to resort to violence." the voice said, stepping out of the shadows. All three of the rooms occupants that weren't recently born froze up in fear at the person who stepped out of the shadows. The man stood at 6'1" with tanned skin and appeared well within his prime, retaining a very muscular build. He wore a white hood and a black mask, with his eyes that held green irides, no pupils, and red sclera being the only visible part of his face. He also wore a black Takigakure forehead protector with the insignia scratched out, a black sleeveless shirt that revealed the various stitching on his arms, black shinobi pants, and black open-toed sandals._

_"K-Kakuzu the Bounty H-Hunter!" the man exclaimed in fear. "W-What are you doing here?!"_

_"Hmm? Little old me? No reason whatsoever." Kakuzu stated. "My _employers_, however, have paid me quite the amount of money to do this certain mission."_

_"What do you-" the midwife started, but did not finish her sentence as a kunai was found lodged in her throat. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she dropped down to the floor dead._

_"You see, it is not very known yet, but Takigakure has gotten their hands on one of the Bijuu, the Nanabi. And to ensure that the Bijuu stays in the village, some of the higher-ups have paid me to seal it into a newborn child." Kakuzu said._

_"No! I won't let you take any of my daughters!" the man exclaimed, leaping out at the ancient shinobi. Kakuzu extended his fist forward, sending the man flying back into the adjacent wall. The father shakily got to his feet, only to hear the dripping sound of a heavy liquid. He looked down at his chest before his eyes widened. There was a gaping hole in his chest where his heart would be._

_Kakuzu seemed to be grinning wickedly under his mask as he held the man's heart in his hands._

_"You won't need this for long, so I'll be adding it to my collection." Kakuzu stated. The moment he finished speaking, the man dropped down to the floor dead. The man's wife held her two infants close to her person, her eyes widened in fear as Kakuzu slowly crept closer._

_"Why?! Why must one of my children bear this burden?!" The woman cried out._  
_"Ah ah ah, not just one." Kakuzu said. As the words left his mouth, a mortified look crossed the woman's face. "You see, your children were not the first we tried sealing the beast into. We plucked out one of the random children at a random town from an orphanage, but the strain of holding the entire beast was too much and it escaped. So, we came up with an alternate solution: We split the beast into it's Yin and Yang components, and seal those into two orphan infants."_

_"O-Orphan infants...? But-" the woman could not bring herself to finish the sentence, tears flowing freely form her eyes as she held the now crying infants even closer to her. Kakuzu raised his hand up to strike at the vulnerable woman, but hesitated as he started down at the wailing infants. Shakily, he tried to force his hand to move to complete the deed, but found he could not. Releasing a breath he did not know he was holding, Kakuzu lowered his hand, confusing the woman._

_"You have two minutes..." Kakuzu said, walking to the exit of the room and leaning on the doorway._

_"T-Thank you..." the woman whispered. Despite the situation, she could not help but feel grateful that her killer would at least allow her to say her goodbyes to her children. "Fu, Emerald, listen here, and listen well... You two will have some tough challenges ahead of you, a-and I won't be there to help you. But know this: Mommy and Daddy love you very much! Even if we won't physically be there, we'll always be with you in your hearts!"_

_"One minute!" Kakuzu called out from the doorway._  
_"Oh! U-Uh...! Remember to eat your vegetables! Brush your teeth! Don't forget to brush your hair! A-And remember to find the right man to fall in love in!" the woman exclaimed._  
_"Thirty seconds!" Kakuzu said._  
_"Remember to keep your kunai and shuriken sharpened and clean! And follow your dreams!" the woman stated._  
_"Ten seconds..." Kakuzu stated._  
_"Always remember, you two are sisters! Make sure you have each other's backs! I love you both!" the woman exclaimed. "... Alright, I'm as ready as I'll ever be..." Kakuzu walked back over to the woman and raised his hand up._  
_"If it means anything, I'm sorry you had to be the ones for this." Kakuzu said. And with that, he plunged his hand through the woman's chest, pulling out her heart for his own collection._  
_"C-Can you at l-least promise me s-something...?" the woman asked shakily. "Can y-you promise m-me that you'll p-protect them? U-Until they can p-protect t-themselves?"_

_"Hmm? And why should I? You barely know me." Kakuzu questioned._

_"I-It's the least y-you can d-do... A-After all... Y-You're... their... godfather..." the woman stated. And with that, the woman's breath stilled, her eyes lost the life they held and her body went limp. Despite this, she still held her two infants firmly in her arms, both Fu and Emerald began wailing despite not knowing the situation._

_Kakuzu began to spout curses after curses at the dead woman. After a full three minutes of spouting enough curses to match that of a season sailor, Kakuzu finally took notice of the two wailing infants._

_"Great... just great. Stuck with being the godfather of two brats that I have to seal a Bijuu into." Kakuzu sighed as he prepared the sealing process. "Yep, just great... This'll take a while..."_

_-Seven Hours Later-_

_Kakuzu wiped the sweat from his brow, the separating and sealing process having finally been completed._

_"'Bout damn time! Now I can go collect my pay..." Kakuzu said to himself. He got up from his crouched position and started walking towards the door. By the time he got to the doorway, Fu and Emerald began crying again. Kakuzu, for the fifth time today, released a sigh. "Don't do it Kakuzu, don't do it. This is just business... dammit..." Kakuzu mumbled to himself as he turned and walked back into the room, forming a familiar cross-shaped handsign as a second Kakuzu poofed into existence. The shadow clone then proceeded to pick up the two infants and walk out of the room._

_-Outskirts of Takigakure-_

_Kakuzu stared out at the setting sun as he held Emerald in his hands while his shadow clone held Fu._

_"Damn, you did a crappy job with the seals." Kakuzu's shadow clone stated._  
_"I know that! I'm no fuinjutsu master!" Kakuzu exclaimed. "Damn, I can't take care of either of these kids, and I can't give them both away from Takigakure..."_

_"If I may..." Kakuzu's shadow clone started._

_-With Kakuzu, Twelve Hours Later-_

_Thunder and lightning boomed as the skies poured down on the small village. Kakuzu had finally found the perfect person to take care of one of the infants, Emerald, if he recalled._

_"Well then, little fella. You probably won't remember your 'dear old godfather' when you're older, but remember this one piece of advice: Money is everything in this world. You wanna get someplace in this 'effed up world? You gotta have the money to do it." Kakuzu stated. The nukenin suddenly shot straight up, new experiences flowing through his mind._

_Flashback In a Flashback Start_

_Kakuzu stood before the Takigakure council, a calmed Fu in his arms._

_"And you're certain that only one of the children survived?" a random civilian councilman questioned._

_"I'm certain. The second child died from the strain." Kakuzu lied._

_"And what of the Yin half of the Nanabi?" one of the shinobi councilmen asked._

_"It immediately fled before I had a chance to recapture it. Mind you, I was in the middle of sealing the Yang half into Fu here, so I couldn't do very much to stop it." Kakuzu continued to lie._

_"Alright. A deal's a deal. Hand over the Jinch__ūrik__i and we'll pay you the money." the current leader of Takigakure stated. Kakuzu took one last glance at Fu, whose bright orange eyes stared back at him, before he handed the baby over to the leader of Takigakure. He stepped back and a few seconds later, a sac of money was thrown at his feet. "A pleasure doing business, Kakuzu..."_

_Kakuzu picked up the bag of money and began to walke away without saying a word, each step he took felt heavier and heavier as an unknown feeling welled up inside his heart, his original heart._

_He kept on walking until he left the hidden village, his arms hanging at his sides. Kakuzu suddenly felt something drip on his head, followed by another, and another, until it kept on increasing. The ex-Taki shinobi looked up to see that it was raining. He raised his right arm so that he was looking at the bag of money in his hands, and then with one swift motion, he did the improbable: Kakuzu threw the bag of money off into the nearby bushes._

_'I've done this a thousand times before, but what makes this time different...?' the Kakuzu clone thought. He stayed still where he was for half an hour before he finally found the will to dispel himself._

_Flashback In a Flashback End_

_The original Kakuzu walked up to the shack in front of him and channeled chakra into his hands._

_"Doton: Dory__ū__heki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)!" Kakuzu whispered, forming a small elevated ground to place Emerald on. After placing the infant on the elevated rocky ground, Kakuzu knocked on the shack's door before quickly jumping off out of sight._

_Not a moment later, the shack's door opened slightly, a young black haired girl with glowing yellow-orange eyes peering out with a kunai in her hands. She tensed slightly when she saw no one was at the door, but relaxed slightly when she heard the wailing sound of an infant. Looking around, the young girl finally saw the green haired infant that rested upon the elevated ground that was crying._

_"Hey there, little fella. What are you doing all the way out here?" the young girl questioned, picking up the infant. After looking around for anyone who might've left the infant, the young girl finally noticed a note tucked into the blanket the infant was wrapped in. Pulling the note out, the wound woman read it before looking back at the infant. "Huh? So your name is Emerald Sustrai? Well, it's nice to meet you Emerald. I'm Cinder Fall..."_

_Off hidden in a tree, Kakuzu's lips twitched up slightly as he watched the scene unfold. He could hopefully count on this girl to take care of one of his 'godchildren', while he checked on the other from time to time._

_'Once again, Kakuzu, you've proven that you're one crafty genius!' Kakuzu thought before walking off._

_Flashback End_

"... And that's my story. At least, that's what Nanabi has told me." Emerald finished.  
"**Tsk tsk, how many times have I told you to call me Chomei, or Lucky Seven!**" Yin Chomei called out to her container. Emerald just chose to ignore her tenant at the moment.

"Then how did you guys get all the way out here in Remnant?" Naruto asked, Emerald's eyes narrowing at the memory.  
"I'd rather not speak of it right now..." Emerald stated.

"**Yes, indeed. We have more pressing matters at hand to discuss.**" Draco stated. "**I must speak to the containers of the fragments of an urgent issue of the upmost importance.**"

"Whatever you need to tell us, you can tell to Ruby and Mercury as well!" Naruto stated.

"**... Fine, have it your way.**" Draco said. "**There is an upset in the balance of the world. In the past year alone, I have felt four of the nine fragments disappear. The first, second, third, and sixth to be precise. But that alone has not worried me. No, what has me concerned is the fact that I can feel **_**its**_** presence growing stronger...**"

"What is _it_ exactly? You keep saying 'it', but, I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone else here, we have no clue what this 'it' is. Care to fill us in?" Naruto asked.

"**Ah, yes, I have forgotten how you humans have lost any recollection of **_**it**_**. Well, in words that you humans can comprehend, **_**it**_** was an ancient being far older that the world itself. A godly being that became corrupted when the foolish mother of Rikudou and the Aura King took a fruit that was produced by the deity. **_**It**_** was known to be a massive tree unlike anything known before or after **_**it**_**. A being whose power both Chakra and Aura stem from. **_**It**_** went by many names, but the most common name **_**it**_** was known by was the Shinju. But, in **_**its**_** final moments, **_**it**_** went by another name: Juubi.**" Draco finished.

"Shinju? Juubi?" Naruto questioned.

"**The Juubi was the corrupted deity that was defeated by the Rikudou and the Aura King and split into two by them. With the Rikudou, his half was split into nine fragments. And with the Aura King, his half was spread throughout the Dark Continent and gave its people Dust.**" Draco stated.

"So what will happen if the Juubi is revived?" Ruby asked.

"**If **_**it**_** was revived, then **_**it**_** would go into a blind rage and destroy everything, reducing the world to a barren wasteland. Everything that was accomplished in **_**its**_** absence would be for naught.**" Draco stated. "**It would be the end of the world.**"

"But why tell us?" Emerald questioned.

"**The containers of the fragments are our last line of defense in preventing **_**its**_** return. What I am asking of you is to stop whoever it is that is trying to revive **_**it**_** and free the other fragments that are already captured.**" Draco said.

"How do you expect us to do that?" Naruto asked.

"**Ah... About that... I don't know.**" Draco said sheepishly, causing the four Huntsmen-in-training to sweatdrop. "**But, I have confidence that you will figure out a way to do so.**"

"Well, if that's all, do you mind doing us a favor...?" Naruto said.

-Aboard The Train-

The train rushed through the tunnel, loaded with mechs. A White Fang member that stood on the train heard a noise and looked outside the train to see rose petals. He brought out a communication device.

"I think they're on the-" the White Fang member started, but couldn't finish his statement as he fell down, revealing Oobleck standing behind him with his weapon.

-With Roman-

"Boss! They made it on the train!" another White Fang member exclaimed.

"Then grab some cargo and get them off the train!" Roman sighed, the White Fang member nodding his head before leaving to follow Roman's orders. "Where is Lord 'Madara' with his solution to dealing with the Jinchūriki?" he said to himself.  
"I'm genuinely surprised by your lack of faith, Torchwick." 'Madara' called out, appearing out of thin air with a familiar shark-like Akatsuki member with him. "This is Kisame. He will deal with the Jinchūriki. I trust that you can handle the other... pests?"

"Of course, Lord 'Madara'." Roman said.

"Good." 'Madara' said before disappearing in another swirling vortex, leaving behind a grinning Kisame before he too went off to follow orders.  
"Miserable animals, every one of them." Roman mumbled to himself before looking awkwardly at the White Fang member sitting next to him. "Not you though, you're, heh, great."

-With Team RWBY, Team RHFN, Zwei, and Oobleck-

"Alright, children. We must get to the front and stop this train!" Oobleck exclaimed.

"Err... Professor?" Weiss said.  
"Doctor..." Oobleck corrected.

"What's that?" Weiss asked, pointing down a hatch into the train. Oobleck took notice of this and knelt down to take a look.

"That my dear... appears to be a bomb." Oobleck replied, the rest of the group cringing away from the hatch.

"We've got baddies!" Roshi exclaimed, pointing forward on the train. Dozens of White Fang members could be seen climbing onto the top of the train.

"Well, I didn't expect them to go-" Oobleck started, being cut off by the bomb underneath them charged up and started beeping. "-easy on us. Time to go!" he exclaimed before standing up. As the group started running away, Oobleck stopped Blake. "Blake! Decouple the caboose! It will kill us all!"  
"On it." Blake said before jumping down onto the connectors and got ready to cut the connection, but as she does, the connection came loose on its own. "Huh? It decoupled itself!" she exclaimed, looking up at Oobleck.

"What?!" Oobleck questioned.  
"I guess he _really_ doesn't want us on this train." Yang stated. As Oobleck looked back at the detached cart, it exploded in the tunnel.

"That's not good..." Oobleck said.  
"Err, neither is this!" Fu exclaimed, standing next to another open hatch.

"Another bomb?!" Han questioned.  
"No. No. No." Oobleck said, looking around before running to the next train car, opening the hatch, and looking in before yelling back to the group. "They _ALL_ have bombs!" The bomb under the rest of the group charged up and started beeping and the cart they're on detached itself, forcing the group to run to the next cart.

"This doesn't make sense!" Yang exclaimed. The White Fang members climbing the train could be seen again.

"Get the Humans!" a random White Fang member exclaimed. Team RWBY jumped forward to attack the incoming White Fang members. Team RHFN was about to do the same when suddenly, the silhouette of a tall man blocked their path.

As the man stood back up, the lighting revealed Kisame, Samehada drawn and prepared to fight.

"Your fight is with me, Jinchūriki!" Kisame exclaimed, jumping back as the train car he was on began to detach itself.

"Oh, dear..." Oobleck said as he watched Team RHFN narrowly escape being caught on the detached train car, which exploded not even moments later, only this time, it created a hole allowing multiple types of Grimm to emerge. "He's leading Grimm to the city!"

"What?" Weiss said.  
"It's the cars! They detach and explode, creating openings for the Grimm!" Oobleck explained.

"That's insane!" Blake exclaimed as another car detached itself, all the while Kisame kept blocking Team RHFN from advancing any further.

"We have to hurry! You three, go below and try to stop those bombs!" Oobleck ordered.  
"What about Team RHFN?!" Blake questioned as she observed Fu block another strike from Samehada.  
"We'll be fine! Go! Stop this train!" Fu exclaimed. As the rest of the group moved forward, the train continued towards its destination, White Fang members beginning to pilot multiple Atlesian Paladin-290s, and jumping to the top of the train. Despite this, Oobleck and Zwei continued running atop the train behind Team RWBY.

"Up ahead!" Oobleck exclaimed, seeing as one of the Paladins was charging towards them. "We got a problem!" he said, taking a sip from his thermos before transforming it into its weapon mode, a small flame burning at its tip. Zwei barked, prompting he's ready for an attack. He jumped and slipped in the air, and Oobleck batted him, turning him into a small fireball.

The Paladin was seen shooting, only for it to get knocked off the train by the combination attack. The Paladin tumbled on the train tracks, and then exploded when it collided with a barricade. Another Paladin appeared in front of Zwei, its guns aimed at him. Suddenly, multiple fire attacks struck it, and Oobleck swiftly knocked it off the train as well.

-With Team RHFN-

"Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique)!" Kisame yelled, firing off a ball of water in the shape of a shark at the three Jinchūriki, the three jumping out of the way just in time to avoid said attack.

"Fu!" Roshi called out. Fu nodded her head, understanding what her monkey Faunus teammate was planning as both began to weave through multiple handsigns.

"Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Flame Bullet)!/Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!" Roshi/Fu cried out, the winds making the flaming bullet enlarge as it flew towards Kisame, who just grinned at the incoming fireball.

"Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Formation Wall)!" Kisame called out, and like the name entails, a large wall of water popped up to block the wind-enhanced fireball. "Come on, you're gonna have to do better than that to even have a chance at taking me down!" he exclaimed, swinging Samehada so that the massive sword pointed at the three Jinchūriki. "Where's that Jinchūriki power that those beasts give you!" At this, Son Goku, Yang Chomei, and Kokuo all had the same thoughts.

"**Roshi!/Fu!/Han!**" the Bijuu exclaimed to their respective tenants. "**Show this fish stick here why you shouldn't mess with a Jinch****ūrik****i and their Bijuu!**" And with that, the three Bijuu sent their Chakra to their Jinchūriki, causing Roshi, Fu, and Han to each gain a three-tailed Chakra cloak.

"Now _THAT_ is more like it!" Kisame exclaimed in a deranged maniacal glee. "Show me your _true_ power!" he said before charging at Roshi, Han, and Fu.

-With Team RWBY-

"I guess this is what we trained for." Yang said as the three remaining members of Team RWBY entered the train car.

"Here, this should help you." Weiss said, reaching into her pouch and giving Blake a magazine filled with Dust vials. Blake slid the mag into Gambol Shroud, and then the three of them charged forward.

Suddenly, they were stopped when a familiar black haired Uchiha Akatsuki member dropped from the ceiling and stood in their way.

"You two go on ahead. This one's mine." Yang said. Blake and Weiss proceeded forward, Itachi doing nothing to stop the two from advancing.

"May I have the name of the opponent I shall be facing?" Itachi asked.

"The name's Yang. Yang Xiao Long! Also known as the person who's going to kick your ass!" Yang exclaimed, charging forward with a flaming bullet punch.

-With Blake and Weiss-

In the next car, Blake and Weiss were seen running, and then looking at each other when they saw numerous pieces of strange paper floating around in the air. The two girls then saw a familiar blue haired Akatsuki member, the bottom half of her body having changed into paper and a pair of paper wings attached to her back.

"You go on ahead!" Weiss said to Blake.  
"Got it!" Blake replied, both girls charging forward at Konan, with Blake deflecting a surge of paper as Weiss flipped back. Weiss then delivered multiple strikes at Konan, said strikes only shooting straight through the woman, the spots where they struck dispersing into paper. She then smiled at Blake as she proceeded to the next car. The moment she exited the car, Konan's holes had been replaced with paper.

"It appears that I am your opponent." Konan stated in a neutral tone.

"As heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, and as my teammates' comrade, I won't lose to you!" Weiss exclaimed, holding up Myrtenaster en garde.

-With Blake-

In the next car, Blake stopped and gritted her teeth when she was greeted by a familiar foe.

"Hello, kitty cat. You miss me? You know, we really gotta stop meeting like this. People are gonna talk..." Roman mocked, prompting Blake to charge forward to attack, starting their brief battle.

Using the Dust vial mag Weiss had given her, Blake weaved in and out of Roman's strikes from Melodic Cudgel, finally knocking him down. When he attempted to get back up, Blake stepped on his chest and pointed her sword at his throat.

"Why are we fighting? I saw you at the rally, we're on the same side and you know it..." Roman chuckled nervously, his voice getting a dramatic change in tone.

-With Yang-

Yang's fist collided with the stoic Uchiha, only for Itachi to disperse into a flock of crows that began to swarm around her.

"Hn. You're going to have to try better than that if you wish to defeat me." Itachi's voice boomed from around the room.

"Shut up! Come out and fight me like a man!" Yang yelled. Itachi suddenly appeared amongst the crows, his leg raised to deliver a kick to the blond Huntress-in-training. Yang saw this coming and fired off a shotgun shell from Ember Celica at Itachi, only for Itachi to vanish once more. The crows finally began to disperse, revealing that Itachi standing in the same spot he was originally.

As Yang began to realize this, a familiar blade slowly came out of Itachi's right sleeve. When the blade was fully revealed, Itachi lifted the weapon up so that he held it in front of himself.

"I hadn't thought I would need to resort to using this, the same blade I had used in my days as part of ANBU, but you have proven me wrong on that. So prepare to fall to my tanto." Itachi said, his tone remaining the same as he spoke. Yang's eyes narrowed before she charged once more at the stoic Uchiha. She threw a punch at Itachi, who in response strafed to the left, his tanto raised to strike the blond. With one swift movement, Itachi swung his blade at Yang. The slash barely scratched the blond, having jumped back to avoid the strike, but not enough to escape unscathed. Yang's eyes widened as she saw a strand of blond hair flutter to the ground, the blond's hair overshadowing her eyes.

"You..." Yang started, a fiery aura appearing around her as she spoke. Her head snapped up, revealing a pair of blood red eyes in place of her usual violet eyes. "_NOBODY_ touches my hair!" she yelled, charging forward at Itachi in rage.

"Hn." Itachi grunted as he prepared to dodge the enraged girl, closing his eyes before they quickly snapped open, revealing a familiar pair of red eyes with three tomoe in them before charging forward himself at Yang.

-With Weiss-

Weiss hopped from glyph to glyph as she dodged swarms of paper Konan sent her way.

"Please, just walk away. I don't like harming children." Konan said.

"I'm not going to abandon my comrades!" Weiss exclaimed, causing Konan to freeze up slightly, memories of the past resurfacing. The blue haired Akatsuki member was so caught up in her own memories, she barely moved out of the way in time to dodge a strike from Myrtenaster. A glyph appeared in front of Weiss midair, allowing the scarred girl to use it as a jumping platform to launch another strike at Konan, said blue haired woman using her paper wings to send her flying back out of harms way.

"I will say it again, just walk away while you still can." Konan repeated. Weiss raised up her rapier once again before charging forward, her Dust vial switching to fire Dust before she swung it at Konan, causing a fiery explosion upon impact. "Very well, don't say that I did not give you a chance to leave." she said, her paper forming into a cluster that shot out at Weiss, catching the girl in the strike.

-With Blake-

As Roman was held down by Blake, he grunted as she pointed her blade at his throat.

"Oh, still feisty. Soooo, what are we gonna do now? You think a little bow on top is gonna make people forget who you were? What you've done...?" Roman questioned, causing Blake to grit her teeth at his words. She suddenly heard the door from leading to the previous train car explode open behind her. Weiss was slammed into the floor by a cluster of paper, effectively knocking her unconscious, with Konan emerging from the doorway with a soft look on her face.

"So what's it gonna be, Blake?" Roman asked. Before Blake could react, a lone paper shuriken was hurled at Roman's head with enough force to slam his head into the floor, knocking him unconscious. With widened eyes, Blake turned around to look at Konan and the still unconscious Weiss.

"But...? Why-?" Blake questioned.

"Ah ah ah, you knocked him out." Konan said. "And after you knocked him out, you rushed over and saved your comrade from certain doom, the two of you both escaping my clutches and going back to trying to stop this train..." she finished, mentally commanding the paper to loosen around Weiss as she smiled. "Oh no. My concentration has slipped. _Someone_ might be able to, oh I don't know, rush in and grab this girl before my concentration returns and run away before I can even begin to react." Konan said in an over-exaggerating tone. Blake, having gotten the hint, rushed in and swiped up Weiss and fleeing immediately, all the while Konan just stood there and smiled.

-With Yang-

When Yang and Itachi finally collided, Yang was the first to strike as she threw a punch at Itachi. Said stoic Uchiha jumped up to avoid the punch, swinging his tanto at Yang midair. She raised up her other gauntlet, blocking the short sword before firing off another shotgun shell. Itachi righted himself in the air and raised his tanto up in a defensive manner. Just in time, too, as the shot from Ember Celica sent him flying back. Itachi did a backflip and managed to land on his feet, skidding back a few yards before stopping.

"I am done playing around." Itachi said as Yang, with a battle cry, charged at him once more. "Genjutsu: Sharingan (Illusion Technique: Copy Wheel Eye)!" he exclaimed as he made eye contact with Yang. Said girl's eyes widened before she began to fall forward, crashing to the ground with a thud. Itachi began to stalk towards Yang, fully prepared to deal the finishing blow. Before he could, a masked warrior with raven hair clad in red and black came out of nowhere and knocked Itachi back.

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the new mysterious person. The mysterious swordswoman slowly drew her sword again, a long and crimson red sword, and held it up intimidatingly. At this, Itachi sheathed the tanto he was wielding in his sleeve before closing his eyes. Blood started dripping from his eyes before they reopened, revealing a strange pinwheel design.

"Mangekyō Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye)!" Itachi murmured. Suddenly, a shroud of orange ethereal flames began to cover Itachi. But before he could call out the name of his technique, he dropped to the ground violently coughing, some blood was coughed up as well, not much, but enough to be concerning. His eyes immediately returned to their original charcoal black. "No... not now! Not now, of all times *Cough*!" Itachi angrily whispered to himself. The stoic Uchiha slowly pulled himself to his feet before jumping out the nearest exit.

The swordswoman looked down at the still unconscious Yang, knowing fully well that the girl would wake up soon enough, and slashed her sword to the side to open a red portal of some sorts. She walked away from Yang and into the portal. As this happened, Yang began to regain some consciousness and slowly got back up.

As she opened her eyes again, she got a brief glimpse at her rescuer before the woman disappeared at her next blink. Yang rubbed her head, still reeling from her unconsciousness, before standing up and leaving the scene.

-With Team RHFN-

Kisame leapt back as a red claw slammed into the ground where he once stood, courtesy of Roshi, before attempting to do the same again unsuccessfully when Fu came barreling into him, sending him flying back and into the next train car roof with enough force to leave an indent in the shape of himself. The shark-like man got out of the indent in the train car roof, only to be sent flying back by a steaming fist from Han.

"Are you done playing around, Kisame?" 'Madara' called out, appearing in a spiralling vortex right beside Kisame.

"Ah, you know how much I like to play with my food, 'Madara'." Kisame said. At the mention of the infamous legendary Uchiha, all three Jinchūriki froze up.

"Well, with the amount of time you spent 'playing with your food', the time window to extract the Jinchūriki has come and gone." 'Madara' said. "We must retrieve Konan and leave this train before the impact."

"Humph, fine! Go ahead and ruin my fun!" Kisame whined, though a grin was on his face as he spoke. Those were his last words before 'Madara' placed his hand on his shoulder and both disappeared in a spiralling vortex, most likely to retrieve Konan.

"Wait, did he just say 'impact'?" Roshi pointed out. All three members of Team RHFN's eyes widened as they finally looked forward to find the train shooting straight towards a dead end.

"Everyone brace yourselves!" Han yelled before going through a set of handseals. "Doton: Chikyū Engai (Earth Release: Earth Dome)!" he exclaimed, the rock from the walls of the cavern around them tearing off to form an earthen dome around the three Jinchūriki.

-With Weiss, Blake, and Yang-

All three members of Team RWBY somehow managed to meet up at the front of the train, only to find that the train was on a head-on collision course with a stone wall.

"What do we do?" Blake questioned. Suddenly, Weiss smiled as she got an idea, forming an ice shield to protect her teammates, bracing themselves for the impending crash. The rain then crashed into the wall, the explosion causing a bright white flash.

After recovering from their shell shock, the three girls could hear the sound of an emergency alarm blaring. Weiss was the first to get back up, followed by Blake and Yang, the latter coughing as the dust settled. The white haired girl's eyes widened as the group realized, much to their worry, that they had returned to the central part of Vale, and multiple civilians in the area noticed them among the debris. The sound of low rumbles and growls was heard form behind them, setting the group on edge.

Suddenly, a giant King Taijitu emerged from the hole, and multiple Grimm started pouring into Vale. Amongst this wave of Grimm was the three remaining members of Team RHFN, their Chakra cloaks having faded and all three looking like they had seen better days. Nevertheless, all three Jinchūriki kept on fighting the Grimm as they poured out.

Roshi appeared to yell something, but it only came out as no louder than a whisper. Following Roshi's proclamation was the sound of civilians screaming as they attempted to flee the chaos. The sounds of screams and roars filled the air, and all the three members of Team RWBY could do was watch in horror.

One of the Beowolves approached the still shocked Team RWBY. Before it could strike, Roshi shot forward, bisecting the creature of Grimm at its torso. Han and Fu went to help up Blake and Yang while Roshi went over to Weiss.

"Come on, Ice Princess! We gotta help evacuate the civilians!" Roshi exclaimed, offering his hand to said scarred girl. Weiss's expression changed from worried and scared to angry and determined. The alarm continued to blare as Weiss took the extended hand and Roshi pulled her up, all six Huntsmen-in-training pulling out their weapons as they prepared to fight the incoming Grimm.

Chapter End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAANNNNNDDD DONE! Surprise Plot Twist! Kakuzu is morally dark grey, Emerald and Fu are twins, and Kakuzu is their godfather! Wow, I'm laughing to myself as I write this, because even I never saw this coming.**

**Originally, I had planned for Emerald and Fu to be the same person. But then I got the idea to make them related. And theeeeeeeen, only as I was writing this chapter, had I thought of the idea of Kakuzu being their godfather. Literally, as I wrote the flashback sequence I came up with this idea.**

**And for those of you who are calling BS on the whole Yin and Yang Chomei, remember that Minato did the same with Kurama, so why doesn't the same apply for those tailed beasts with more than 6 or 7 tails?**

**Also, on an entirely unrelated note, there is a poll on my profile for my most recent story, "Ianite's Champion", for its pairing. Go ahead and vote if you wish, its one of my more promising stories in my eyes that has plenty of room for potential.**

**And lastly, happy Black Friday! Winter is Coming! And there will be dragons! DRAGONS!**

**I'll see you guys next time, see ya! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	27. Chapter 27- Breach

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllloooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Now, I have something important to say. As much as it pains me to say it, this chapter will be followed by a short hiatus. The reason being is because Volume 3 for RWBY has yet to come out! The Maelstrom Hunter is primarily based off of three things: One, the Naruto Universe; Two, the RWBY Universe; and Three, my own ingenuity when it comes to making a plotline. If I don't have access to one, then I can't bring myself to continue the story plot I have planned out, and trust me, I. Have. Planned. It. ALL. Out.**

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**And Now Onto Reviewing Your Reviews!**

**hollowichigo12- When it comes to my stories, I feel the need to explore aspects of a plotline that most people don't use or haven't thought to use, the moral grey area godfather Kakuzu is an example of that. But don't confuse this with me saying that there won't be more surprises I have planned in my story. No, in fact, I have plenty and plenty of surprises in store, especially for Naruto. Hehehehe...**

**Guest- 3 answers. 1) I never said that Kakuzu had the skill to split and seal a bijuu. For all you know, his employers could have provided him with a way of doing so. 2) YOU have obviously forgotten the 22****nd ****Law of Anime, the Law of Inconsequential Undetectability, which states (and I quote), "People never notice the little things... like missing body parts, or wounds the size of Seattle." And 3) Do you honestly think that the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) would be limited to just Konoha? I mean, really. It's just a single handseal that only has the drawback of needing plenty of Chakra to perform and the memory feedback. If other hidden villages couldn't figure that out, they sure as hell wouldn't be able to figure out a lot of stuff that went on in the Naruto Universe.**

**ChaosDivine02- A war is coming. The Fourth Shinobi War. And no one, I repeat, NO ONE, will figure out my devious plans. As for Kirabi, yes, he will be appearing in my story. And if all goes as planned, he will be appearing very soon in the story.**

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**And Now, Without Further Delay, I Bring You The Next Chapter Of TMH! Read And Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

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Chapter Start

-With Team JNPR-

Jaune sighed dreamily as he slept in the night with the rest of Team JNPR.

"Waffles..." he mumbled. Suddenly, he shot up out of his bed with a silent gasp. Jaune looked around the room, only to find the rest of his team still sleeping. The blond leader of Team JNPR picked up his Scroll and found that it was close to a few minutes after midnight. With another sigh, Jaune slumped back down onto his bed, all the while he kept muttering "RHFN", "Grimm", and (with no relation to a certain pineapple-haired Nara) "Troublesome".

-Next Morning-

The sun stood low in the sky as Team JNPR walked at dawn towards their Bullhead, another Bullhead flying overhead to the school campus.

"I'm sure they're fine." Pyrrha said, entwining her hand with Jaune as to assure her boyfriend that Team RWBY and Team RHFN were just fine.  
"You think?" Jaune questioned.

"Probably." Ren said. "Then again, those guys are practically magnets for trouble."

"Let's just focus on our own mission for now." Pyrrha said.  
"We're gonna be deputies!" Nora exclaimed as she jumped onto Ren from behind.

"I just got this feeling... I don't know." Jaune said.

"Jaune..." Pyrrha said. Before she could continue, the sounds of alarms rang forward as the four Huntsmen-in-training then noticed the city up in smoke.

"We're changing our mission. Everyone on board!" Jaune yelled. "Ren, we'll make it to that village another time." he said after the team made their way toward their Bullhead. "Take us into the city!"

As the Bullhead flew off, the four students did not notice the three pairs of eyes look on.

"There. That should be enough of a distraction." 'Madara' said as Konan and Tendō (Deva Path) Pein stood beside him.

"How long do we have?" Konan asked.

"With how things are going, most likely we have fifteen minutes, half an hour at most." 'Madara' stated. "We need to get moving now."

"Right." Tendō (Deva Path) Pein said before 'Madara' disappeared in a spiralling vortex, leaving the two founding members of Akatsuki alone.

"Even after all these years, I still don't see how we still haven't taken him out." Konan stated.

"He's a tricky man to catch, and an even trickier one to kill." Tendō Pein said before walking off into the woods, Konan shortly following after.

-With Team RWBY and Team RHFN-

Team RWBY and Team RHFN had their weapons drawn as they were surrounded in the middle of the pavilion by Beowolves, Ursai, and a masssive King Taijitu. The King Taijitu was about to unleash a mighty roar, but an even louder roar boomed over the giant snake's. The group of Grimm froze up at this, causing the six Huntsmen-in-training to look on in confusion. The sound of flapping wings soon caught the group's attention, causing them to look up to the sky with widened eyes.

"Hi Yang! Hi Weiss! Hi Blake! Hi Roshi! Hi Han! Hi Fu!" Ruby exclaimed, waving at the group as she, Naruto, Mercury, and Emerald all rode atop Draco.

"Is that Ruby...?" Blake questioned.

"-And Naruto...?" Fu continued.  
"-Riding on top of a blue dragon towards us?" Yang finished before grinning like a madwoman. "That... is _freaking_ awesome!"

"This should be far enough! Thanks for the ride, Draco!" Naruto exclaimed as he, Ruby, Mercury, and Emerald jumped off of Draco.

"**Don't mention it. If that's all, I'll be going back now. Farewell, containers of the fragments.**" Draco said before flying back off.

"Hey guys! What's with all the Grimm?" Naruto asked as the four walked up to the others.

"Well, you guys really missed a whole ton of things." Yang said.

"We can talk about what happened later! Right now, we need to stop all these Grimm!" Weiss exclaimed as she rushed into the fray of Grimm, shaking the rest of the group from their surprise and charging at the horde of dark creatures.

The group of Grimm eventually recovered from their surprise as well, the King Taijitu unleashing a mighty roar, signalling the Grimm to attack. Ruby planted Crescent Rose on the ground before kicking away the Grimm, Yang propelled herself upwards, performing aerial bombardments with Ember Celica on the Grimm before three Giant Nevermores sent her crashing to the ground. Fu and Blake charged at a Beowolf side by side, Fu taking the lead and firing at the beast before jumping out of the way to allow Blake to slash at the Beowolf with Gambol Shroud, all this occurred in less than a minute, leading to the two girls to fire their weapons at the incoming Grimm afterwards. Weiss slashed at three Beowolves, before summoning a glyph that sent all three flying up into the air. At the same time, Roshi drew his gunblades and shot at all three Beowolves in rapid succession, sending them back to the ground with multiple bullet holes littering their bodies. Naruto meanwhile had created five clones to help him topple a Beowolf whilst the original Naruto sat in a meditative position. Seconds later, Naruto entered Sage Mode, his eyes snapping open before charging at the fallen creature. Naruto then proceeded to grab the Grimm by its leg, spinning it around a few times before tossing it up at one of the Nevermores, sending the giant bird falling down.

As Ruby finished slashing at a Grimm, she noticed the King Taijitu ready for the attack, until she also saw a familiar bubbly orange haired girl flying on her Magnhild hammer towards the King Taijitu, slamming it on the head and killing the beast.

"Nora Smash!" Nora exclaimed as the rest of Team JNPR arrived on the scene.

"Let's move!" Pyrrha exclaimed.

"Okay, who's first?" Jaune questioned, only to turn around and notice a giant Ursa standing behind him. "Oh-oh-okay, you're first, huh? Okay, no, that's fine. Totally fine, done this before, done this before..." Jaune took a small breath before the Ursa slashed down at him, said blond leader of Team JNPR rolling out of the way before delivering a slash at the Grimm's arm, channeling a bit of Aura as he did so and causing the strike to sever the beast's arm, along with the lower half of its body. Pyrrha and Naruto smiled and grinned respectively, both having took notice of Jaune's improvement. A few feet from the fallen Ursa, Sun and Neptune arrived, flashing their badges.

"Nobody move! Junior detectives!" Sun exclaimed.

"We have badges so you know it's official!" Neptune stated.

Suddenly, a large creature appeared out of nowhere, the overcast of its shadow covering the majority of the area. Sun and Neptune's gaze kept going up as they stared in awe at the sight, Sun dropping his badge to the floor.

-Two Minutes Ago-

Roshi and Weiss stood back-to-back as a dozen Beowolves and Ursai surrounded the couple.

"These things just keep coming wave after wave!" Roshi exclaimed.

"We need something big to stop these Grimm!" Weiss stated. Roshi's body suddenly went slightly rigid as he felt the familiar tugging sensation in the back of his mind.

-Roshi's Mindscape-

The familiar feeling of falling forward and backward was gone as quick as it came, Roshi finally finding himself in his own mindscape.

"Son? What's the matter? You don't usually call me here unless it's something big." Roshi asked.

"**I've decided to help you in your fight.**" Son Goku stated.

"Well, how exactly do you plan to do that?" Roshi questioned, only for Son Goku to raise his fist up close to the monkey Faunus.

"**When our fists connect, it'll allow my Chakra to flow through you willingly.**" Son Goku replied.  
"But what'll happen when I receive your Chakra?" Roshi asked.

"**It'll allow you to enter Bijuu M****ō****do (Tailed Beast Mode), but only for a few minutes.**" Son Goku said. "**Now hurry up and bump fists, this'll be one of the very few times that I'll willingly give you full control.**"

"Alright! Let's do this!" Roshi exclaimed, a grin having spread across his face as he bumped fists with the bijuu.

-Outside Roshi's Mindscape-

Roshi blinked as he felt a surge of power course through his body.

"Roshi?" Weiss said as she saw a grin spread across her boyfriend's face.

"Ice Princess, you might want to hang on." Roshi said, moments later the effects of the transformation taking effect. A veil of smoke twice the height of the surrounding buildings shot up as this happened. Seconds later, a red-furred arm shot out and crushed some of the Grimm below, it's shadow spreading across the vast majority of the surrounding area, and causing Sun to drop his badge as he stared up in awe at the sight.

Once the smoke finally cleared up, Roshi was revealed to be in Bijuu Mōdo, taking on the form of Son Goku, Weiss holding on to the bijuu form's fur atop its head.

"**Let's monkey around!**" Roshi's voice boomed, seemingly a mixture of his own voice and Son Goku's. Not even a second after his exclamation, Roshi charged forward, stomping, kicking, and punching any and all Grimm that came at him. But, just as Son Goku had said, the transformation didn't last long, a veil of smoke covering Roshi's Bijuu Mōdo as the transformation faded, leaving Roshi and Weiss stuck up in midair... for about half a second before gravity took effect.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Weiss exclaimed, Roshi grabbing the scarred girl in a tight embrace and righting himself midair, sending Chakra to his feet to cushion his impact, the impact creating a spider web crater.

"One and a half minutes... not bad." Roshi said. Suddenly, a fleet coming from the Atlesian Miliary, consisting of dropships deploying Atlesian Knight-200 units and the flagship of James Ironwood appeared. As Team RWBY looked up at the sky, an Ursa took the opportunity to attack Ruby from behind. Naruto's eyes widened, time seeming to slow down for him.

'Gotta think! What can I do?!' Naruto thought, his eyes widening as an idea came to him. With one swift motion, Naruto pulled out his lone Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) kunai and threw it at the Ursa. The moment he did so, Naruto realized something. 'I don't know how to use Hiraishin!'

"**You just need to think of your marker and add chakra. I recall your father explaining how his technique worked to Kushina once.**" Kurama stated.

'Thanks, Kurama!' Naruto mentally exclaimed, doing as told by the bijuu. He closed his eyes in concentration and not even a second later, a feeling of weightlessness overtook the blond instantaneously. When he opened his eyes, Naruto found himself right above where the Hiraishin kunai he threw, and where the Ursa, was. Holding _Nanamagari Dai Konran_ (Spiralling Maelstrom) in his left hand, Naruto channeled Chakra into a seal on his right forearm, his Kubikiribōchō appearing in his right hand in a puff of smoke before he swung downward at the Ursa, slicing the Grimm clean in two.

One of the dropship's machine gun began gunning down Grimm as the robotic Knights were deployed and they too started gunning down the Grimm. Two of the Knights are stampeded on by a Boarbatusk, but a separate group of three Knights fired on an Ursa, and another Ursa had fallen from a Knight's punch.

Another airship arrived, dropping off Team CFVY (Coffee) and Professor Peter Port. As Yatsuhashi was surrounded by a pack of Grimm, he swung his mighty greatsword on the ground, unleashing a shockwave. Velvet and Fox respectively kicked and punched the Grimm, and Fox unleashed a combo of slashes and punches that made a spiked Ursa explode, impaling the nearby Grimm with its spikes.

"Nice hustle, Fox. Good job." Coco said, giving Fox a light pat on the butt as she spoke. She suddenly turned her attention to a nearby Beowolf. "You just destroyed my favorite clothing store. Prepare to die."

Coco, after swatting away the Grimm's right hand, kicked the Beowolf in the crotch. She, as it fell to the ground and looked at her, leaned down and slammed her bag onto its head. She effortlessly swatted away more Beowolves, and the rest of Team CFVY resumed fighting. Velvet stepped forward, about to open her box.

"Hey, come on, you just spent all the semester building that up. Don't waste it here." Coco said to Velvet, then proceeding to transform her handbag into a giant minigun, and started firing, slaughtering the advancing horde of Grimm, including a Death Stalker and three Nevermores. Port and Oovleck regrouped t the opening, nodding their heads before firing their weapons at the approaching Grimm, while Glynda mopped up the remnants and immediately closed the opening with the power of telekinesis.

-Later On That Day-

The group of Huntsmen/Huntresses-in-training eventually met up in the pavilion as Roman was escorted by two Atlesian Knight-200 units towards an airship.

"Oh, I can't believe that you caught me, you've really taught me the error of my ways." Roman said sarcastically. "He-hey, watch the hat!"

"Well, we did it." Naruto said, slouched up against a nearby wall, his arm around Ruby as said girl leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We did it." Ruby said.  
"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm gonna be really disappointed." Weiss said, her fingers entwined with Roshi's.

"A two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery. I wouldn't count on it." Mercury stated.

"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything. A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't even know why they did this, or who that mystery girl was." Fu stated.  
"Well, not every story had a neat and tidy ending." Emerald stated.

"We might not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. And I think that's something we could be proud of." Blake said.

"Yeah! And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them." Ruby exclaimed.

"Yay, teamwork, camaraderie, good guys, go team, alright, good job... So, what now?" Yang questioned.

"I suggest training for the tournament, but I guess we have that covered at this point." Weiss stated. Suddenly, a beeping sound alerted the group that they each had a new message.

"It says that it's from Professor Ozpin." Han stated as they each opened up the message.

"To Team RWBY/RHFN. Your team has been selected to participate in the upcoming Vytal Festival tournament. To prepare you for such event, you and your team have been assigned a seasoned senior Huntsmen to train you in the coming month's time. Good luck." Ozpin said through the message.

"So then..." Blake said.  
"Uhh... Time for bed?" Ruby questioned.  
"Please." Yang quickly said.

"Absolutely." Blake, Emerald, and Fu said at once.

"Yes." Weiss, Roshi, Mercury, Naruto, and Han said.

"I'm going to sleep forever." Yang said. The group got up from their relaxed positions and started heading towards the dormitory. A grin begun to spread across Yang's face as she caught Naruto and Ruby sharing a goodnight kiss, no doubt she would use this against her sister just to see her flushed.

-With Ozpin-

"Ozpin, Ozpin!" a councilman exclaimed.

"Yes, Councilman." Ozpin said.  
"You've left us no choice. The Vytal Festival tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens. Ahem... Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council and together have decided that the best action is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event." the councilman stated.

"Thank you, Councilman. Our Kingdom is happy to lend as many troops as it takes to ensure that the event runs smoothly and safely as possible." Ironwood said.

"And we thank you, General." the councilman said.

"Will that be all?" Ozpin asked.  
"For now. But after this festival comes to a close, we are going to have a serious discussion about your position at Beacon Academy. General Ironwood's reports over the last few weeks have left us somewhat... concerned. I am sure you understand." the councilman stated.

"This is the right move, Ozpin. I promise, I will keep our people safe, you have to trust me." Ironwood said before hanging up the video call.

-With Ironwood-

"You brought this on yourself." Ironwood said to no one as he looked towards Beacon and Ozpin's office through a window. He then walked toward a heavily guarded Roman in his holding cell, albeit without his signature hat. "Leave us." The soldiers did as told, leaving Ironwood alone so he could talk to Roman. "I've been informed that so far you've refused to co-operate with the authorities."  
"I know this might be hard to believe, General, but uh... I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement." Roman said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"How about the world's strongest military power?" Ironwood asked rhetorically.

"Ha! Your intimidation isn't nearly as bad as _his_." Roman laughed, causing Ironwood's eyes to narrow.

"I'm going to give you one chance. Who's really behind all this?" Ironwood asked.

"If I told you, he'd make me suffer a fate worse than death." Roman stated, fear evident in his voice as he spoke.

"The council's given me custody over you for as long as I see fit. Whoever is really behind this will have a tough time trying to kill you in here." Ironwood stated. Roman leaned forward, fear now plastered on his face.

"He's like no one you've ever seen before. Where he's from - if they knew of his presence - they would call him a ghost. And I can fully agree with that." Roman stated before his eyes shifted around the room, as if even mentioning the man's name would cause him to appear. "I fear no man. But that _thing_... it scares me..."

"I think that's enough for one day. It's obvious you aren't going to crack any time soon." Ironwood said as he started walking off. "Like I said, the council gave me custody over you for as long as needed. So make yourself comfortable. I can be sure that you'll have plenty of time to talk."

"Don't leave me alone! He'll exploit any opportunity to cut any loose ends!" Roman exclaimed in panic as he tried to escape, only to be pushed back by two Knights. "Konohagakure! He's a legend from Konohagakure! His name, infamous even today! Oh Dust, he's going to kill me either way!"  
"If you believe you're going to die, why not just tell me who is behind all of this?" Ironwood asked, the notorious criminal's cry of fear making him stop walking.

"I can't! A seal keeps me from even mentioning his name!" Roman exclaimed, sticking his tongue out to reveal a familiar hexagram seal on it before retracting it after Ironwood got a good look at it. "If I even try pronouncing his name without him in a twenty-five yard radius, the seal will kill me!"

"Just calm down, whatever this seal you have on you, we'll do our best to take off." Ironwood said calmly.

"But you don't get it! I'm a dead man either way! I try to tell you who he is, and I'm dead in an instant! I stay silent and tell you nothing, he'll kill me himself! He doesn't accept failure from his lackeys!" Roman exclaimed. "And his eyes! Those damned eyes of his! They make him intangible! But it doesn't make sense! The legend of Ma-!" Before he could even finish what he was about to say, Roman's eyes widened as the seal activated, and in seconds his breathing ceased, his eyes quickly losing the life they once held. Ironwood's eyes widened at the turn of events, quickly pulling out his pocket watch and placing his index and middle fingers against the side of Roman's neck.

'I... I can't believe it...' Ironwood thought, shock evident on his face.

As of 6:37 PM East Vytal Time, Roman Torchwick was officially deceased.

-With Ozpin-

John Ozpin let out a sigh as he stared down at the Beacon Academy campus. A beeping sound came from the Scroll on his desk, alerting the headmaster that he received a new message. John opened his Scroll and was shocked at what the message said.

"_Roman Torchick is dead, killed by some kind of restriction seal. Need to meet and discuss what was discovered._" was the message Ironwood had sent him.

"John, the representatives from Kumogakure are here." Glynda called out from the doorway.

"Send them in." Ozpin said. Glynda nodded her head in confirmation before disappearing from the doorway. A minute later, two men walked in. The first man stood at 6'6" and had dark skin, a large muscular build, light blond combed-back hair, a moustache and beard. His face was very distinguished with pronounced cheekbones and tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead. He wore a Kage haori and hat without a shirt underneath, further displaying his hulking physique. Gold bangle bracelets were on each of his wrists, and a gold belt was around his waist with a boar's face engraved in the centre.

The second man stood at 6'6" as well with slightly lighter, yet dark skin, a muscular build, light blond combed-back hair, and a goatee. On his right shoulder, he had a tattoo of the kanji for tetsu (iron), and on his left cheek, he had a tattoo of a bull's horn. His top lip also had a slightly darker hue than his bottom one. The man wore oval shaped sunglasses and a white-colored Kumogakure forehead protector. He also had his village's standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, and a long, red rope belt tied around his waist, the standard Kumo hand and shin guards, shinobi sandals, a white scarf around his neck, and seven swords on his back.

"Welcome to Beacon Academy, you must be Kumogakure's representatives." Ozpin said.

"Yo, it's nice to be here ya see! The name's Kirabi! Wheeeee!" the second man said, well... terribly rapped.

"Aian Kurō (Iron Claw)!" the first man exclaimed in irritation, squeezing Kirabi's face with his hand, a comical look of anger on his face as he did so. "This is not the time for your ridiculous rapping, Kirabi!" The man released his grip on Kirabi before turning his attention back to Ozpin. "I'm sorry about my brother, he can be a bit annoying at times."

"No, no, this is actually quite amusing to watch." Ozpin said, his lips curling up slightly in amusement.

"Anyways, yes, we're the representatives from Kumogakure. I'm the Yondaime Raikage, A, and this is my brother, Kirabi." the man, now identified as A, said.

"I am John Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy." Ozpin said. "Now, onto business, you've requested to take on training four of my students. Might I inquire as to why?"

"Don't look at me, it's my brother that you'll get your answers from." A said, shrugging his shoulders as he did so.

"Yo, back a few hours ago when me and my bro came here, there was an attack that was real near. Me and Eight-O saw and felt the presence of Four, Five, Seven, and Nine-O! And don't ya know, the best one to train those fou' to be great Jinchūriki be me! The rappin' and rhymin' Kirabi! Wheeeeee!" Kirabi rapped, only to get hit upside the head by A.

"What my brother is trying to say is, he is a Jinchūriki as well, one that's master his abilities with the Hachibi. It only seems logical that a senior Jinchūriki is fit to train the younger ones to cooperate with their Bijuu." A stated. "So, what do you say? Do we have an agreement?"

-Unknown Location-

'Madara' and Kisame stood atop a rooftop, watching the last rays of the sun set across the horizon.

"All in all, I call today a success." 'Madara' stated.

"Those stupid kids really made a mess of things." Kisame stated. "A lot of Faunus didn't make it out of the tunnels. You still think the White Fang's gonna listen to you?"

"No, but they'll listen to me." a new voice called out, causing the two to turn their heads to the source of the voice. The person in question stood at 6'4" with brown hair dyed with red streaks that spiked backwards in a windswept way. A noticeable trait of his appearance was the mask he wore, which obscured his eyes and upper face. The mask itself was whitish-tan with red, Japanese style, flame-like symbols decorating the front, brown beast-like-ear pieces of cloth on the top of both sides, and two slits on each side. He also wore a long-sleeved black trench coat with slit sleeves and more red designs and a white symbol on the left side. His trench coat was red on the inside with red flame-like accents at the bottom and a large emblem on the back, with a white tulip design covered by a red rose design. Along with this, he wore long black pants and black shoes that were red on the bottom, and black gloves with more red emblems on their forehand, appearing to be a variant of the Greek letter Omega. He also wore a black belt with white domino marks on it.

"Ah, Adam, so nice of you to join us." 'Madara' said.

-Beacon Academy Courtyard-

The sun had finally set, night covering the land as nearly everything was silent. All except for two people in particular.

Yang walked through the courtyard towards the statue of a Huntsman and a Huntress taking down a Grimm, where the mysterious swordswoman who saved her from before stood patiently waiting.

"Who are you?" Yang called out. The mysterious swordswoman then removed her mask, revealing a woman with similar facial features to Yang, only with black hair, red eyes, and a furry appendage similar to a wolf's tail protruded from the right side of her skirt.

"Yang, we have a lot to talk about." the woman stated, Yang's eyes turning red moments after she spoke.

Chapter End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNDDDD DONE! I still got it! I'm back into the grove of things, and I'll be spewing out chapters whenever I can.**

**Also, on another note, the holiday season. I posted a poll on my profile asking you guys if I should do holiday specials for my stories, and the results are in. I'm going to be posting holiday specials for each story!**

**And on another note, after I post the holiday special for TMH, this story will be going on a small hiatus. I know, I know, I'm just as upset as the rest of you guys, but my hands are tied until ****Volume 3 of RWBY**** comes out. So, my fellow RWBY watchers, let us all wait patiently (eagerly/irritatingly) for Volume 3 to come out!**

**In response to this hiatus, I'm going to be focusing on my other stories. In fact, I have a new story that I'm working on that will be a Naruto/PJO (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) crossover. And trust me, it'll be nothing like you've ever seen in the history of Naruto/PJO crossovers.**

**So, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	28. TMH Holiday Special 2014!

**Author's Notes**

**Heeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! Happy Holidays! Or, as I say, Happy ChrismaHauniKwanzikah!**

**As promised, I've made the HOLIDAY SPECIAL! Well, sorta...**

**This is actually going to be a series of sketches between various characters that includes melancholy madness.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

-Beacon Academy-

_**(Play Sleigh Ride)**_

The sky was partially cloudy, specks of white snow, each with its own unique crystalline pattern, danced through the air.

"Wow!" Ruby exclaimed in excitement, watching the snow fall to the ground.

"For once, your childishness is reasonable." Weiss stated, a smile on her face as she watched the snow fall as well.

"Yeah... Hey!" Ruby said, the insult finding its way to comprehension seconds later.

"Come on, Blake. Why so _cold_?" Yang asked, the entire area going quite as the sound of a cricket's chirp permeated the snow-stricken land, only to be hit on the head by a snowball.

"Boo, Yang, boooo!" Roshi exclaimed, tossing another snowball at Yang, the latter in return grabbing a snowball and throwing it at Roshi. She missed and instead hit Weiss, who in turn grew furious and threw a snowball at Yang, only to miss and hit Blake instead, who in turn threw a snowball at Weiss, but miss and hit Ruby instead. She, in turn, threw a snowball at the laughing Roshi, only to miss and hit Han.

"Oh, it is on!" Han exclaimed, grabbing a pile of snow and forming it into a large snowball and chucking it at Ruby, only for said girl to dodge and let the snowball hit her boyfriend, Naruto. Surprisingly, Naruto's fox ears and tail had changed color with the season, becoming white in color.

"It's on like Donkey Kong!" Naruto exclaimed, forming a familiar T-shaped handsign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!" he yelled, forming a dozen clones, half of which formed snowballs and threw them at the others while the other half built up a snow fortress. It was then that this snowball fight got more intense. Naruto, Ruby, Blake, and Yang were on one side while Roshi, Weiss, Han, and Fu were on the other side.

"My fellow snowball-ers! Here we make our final stand! Here is where we stop the Weiss menace! Together, we will stop them!" Naruto exclaimed in a heroic pose atop a pile of snow as snowballs flew by him. "For the log!" At this, the other three Huntsmen-in-training let out a battle cry.

"Today is the day we defeat the threat that is the Naruto alliance! I will not lie, snow will be shed. Some of us may not make it out without being covered in snow! But the hot chocolate is on me!" Weiss exclaimed in a similar manner to Naruto's war speech. "For the hot chocolate!" Like with the rest of Naruto's team, Weiss's team let out a battle cry before charging forward.

It was then and there that a snowy battle took place. Snow truly was shed, as Weiss had predicted. Naruto rolled under a barrage of snowballs before hurling snowballs of his own back, hitting Han square in the chest, face, and arms. Fu was flying high up and throwing snowballs from above, quite a few hitting Blake atop her head and shoulders. Yang and Roshi were exchanging shots from behind cover, neither one landing a hit on the other with their snowballs. Weiss had somehow found a large branch and was using it like she would Myrtenaster, summoning glyphs that shot barrages of snowballs at Ruby, the latter using her own Semblance to dodge the onslaught and throw snowballs in between the barrages.

Naruto was about to throw another snowball at Roshi, put was hit in the back by a barrage of snowballs, the same happening to Roshi, Han, Fu, Blake, Yang, Ruby, and Weiss. The eight students looked up to see the grinning faces of Team JNPR, Pyrrha gingerly tossing a snowball up and down in her right hand while her left rested on her hip, Ren held two snowballs in his hands and got into a fighting pose, Nora held an enormous snowball with both her hands while it rested on her shoulder, and Jaune held a snowball at throwing position.

Naruto and the others shared a look before it turned into a grin, the unspoken truce being agreed upon. Moments later, Naruto, Roshi, Blake, and Yang began tossing snowballs at Team JNPR.

"Scatter!" Jaune exclaimed, the rest of his team doing so, taking cover behind trees and a bench before returning fire. Ruby and Weiss worked in tandem, Ruby using her speed to distract Ren while Weiss used her glyphs to summon barrages of snowballs that slammed against said member of Team JNPR. Han formed a large snowball and threw it at Jaune, the latter dodging with a roll and tossing a snowball at the former. Fu used her insect wings to dodge snowballs that Nora threw at her, throwing a few snowballs in return at the crazy orange haired girl when she could. Roshi, Blake, Yang, and Naruto were now focusing their snowball-throwing efforts at Pyrrha, who in return threw snowballs at the four, hitting Roshi, Blake, and Yang square in the forehead and making them fall back into the snow. Naruto charged forward, two snowballs in his hands, at Pyrrha, the latter doing the same. Both had grins on their faces as they met halfway, and thus a dance had begun.

Pyrrha and Naruto ducked and weaved in and out of the snowballs that each held in their hands, Naruto eventually breaking the close combat by jumping back and throwing the two snowballs at Pyrrha. Said red haired girl threw her own snowballs with such accuracy that all four snowballs collided with enough force to stop their midair motion.

"Now!" Naruto exclaimed, Roshi, Blake, and Yang popping up from the snow and tossing snowballs at a rapid pace at Pyrrha, who could do nothing but put up her arms to brace herself for the incoming barrage.

-With Ozpin and Glynda-

_**(Play Silent Night)**_

A sigh escaped Ozpin's lips, forming a mist against the glass window that he stared out of. A pair of gentle hands on his shoulders broke him out of his trance as he knew who was behind him.

"Thinking about the rest of the team again, John?" Glynda questioned, though she already knew the answer to her question.

"*Sigh*... Was there more we could have done then? Would things turn out like they did?" Ozpin said.

"Maybe. I don't know." Glynda said, using her hands to turn Ozpin around so that he faced her. "But what's done is done, and all we can do is make sure that something like that never happens again." she stated. Ozpin and Glynda then looked up, a small blush popping up on both their faces as they saw a familiar plant hanging above.

"We're under the mistletoe..." Ozpin said as he stared into Glynda's eyes. Neither one knew who initiated the kiss, only the sensation that followed afterwards filled them with a small flame that had once been ablaze.

"Merry Christmas, John." Glynda said.

"Merry Christmas, Glynda." Ozpin replied, the two staying in their embrace as they stared out down at the campus.

-With Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Team RHFN-

The twelve Huntsmen-in-training all flopped down in the snow, forming a circular pattern as laughter flew freely from their lips, the crisp air making their breath visible.

"So, what do you guys have planned for the winter break?" Naruto asked after the laughter died down.

"Well, I plan to introduce Roshi to my family over the break." Weiss stated. "Han and Fu are accompanying us as well."

"Me and Ren are going back home to celebrate Hanukkah!" Nora exclaimed, grabbing Ren's hand as she spoke.

"We still haven't told them we're dating." Ren said, slightly nervous at the thought of telling Nora's family the news.

"I'm going with Pyrrha to meet her family like Weiss and Roshi are with hers." Jaune stated, a hint of timidity to his voice as he spoke.

"Me and Yang are going to spend Christmas with our dad." Ruby said. "What about you, Naruto? What plans do you have for the holidays?"

"I've managed to work out a deal with the Shinigami to spend the holidays with my family _without_ dieing." Naruto stated.  
"_You_ managed to work out a deal with _the_ death god?" Roshi questioned.

"Well, technically, there's more than one Shinigami." Naruto said. "But yeah."

"How?" Fu asked.

"We Uzumaki have always had a peculiar relationship with the death god." Naruto replied.

"Uhh... did anyone actually pack for their trip yet...?" Han questioned, causing everyone to freeze up.

"I gotta go pack!" Everyone exclaimed simultaneously, jumping up out of the snow and dashing off towards their dorm rooms.

-The Next Day-

After the hysteria that was packing for their trips, the entire group stuck together as far as they could.

"See you after winter break." Naruto said, giving Ruby a small kiss as they held each other.

"See you then, Naru." Ruby said, walking off after Yang a few seconds later to their departure ship. Zwei gave off a bark at Naruto before trotting off after the two girls.

"I don't know about this..." Roshi muttered as Weiss dragged him along, Han and Fu silently following behind him.

"I'm not so sure either, but there's no better time than now to do this." Weiss said.

"Can you at least tell me why you invited my two teammates as well? No offense, guys, but..." Roshi said.  
"If things go south, and there's a ninety percent probability it will, you're going to need backup to escape." Weiss stated casually, causing Roshi to pale slightly. "Besides, they've got nowhere else to go, so why not let them join us?"

"Meh, it's true." Fu said.

"Come on, Ren! We've got no time to waste!" Nora exclaimed as she dragged Ren off to their intended Bullhead in a comical manner.

"Feeling nervous?" Pyrrha asked as she held Jaune's hand.

"A little. I mean, what if they don't like me?" Jaune questioned.

"They'll love you, I'm sure of it." Pyrrha stated, giving her boyfriend a quick peck on the lips.

"I sure hope so." Jaune said.

And with that, the group had split apart to their intended destinations.

-With Ruby, Yang, and Zwei-

The trip was not too long, the group of two girls and their dog arriving at the island of Patch. Snow covered the land like a blanket, the clouds dark as snow fell, further coating the white lands.

Standing a dozen yards away from the Bullhead, was a tall man, standing at 5'9". The man wore a gray button-up collared shirt, on top of which he wore a worn-down brown leather jacket, a red scarf, and black pants. The man had a five-o'clock-shadow, disheveled dirty blond hair that had patches of gray here and there, and purple eyes.

"Yang! Ruby!" the man exclaimed.

"Dad!" the two girls exclaimed, dashing forward and giving the now identified Taiyang Xiao Long a hug.

"It's good to see you two again!" Taiyang said, Zwei giving off a bark seconds after the statement. "You too, Zwei!"

"Merry Christmas, Dad!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Heh, now come on, let's head back home and have some hot chocolate and cookies!" Taiyang said, the group walking off down the snow-ridden pathway.

-With Weiss, Roshi, Han, and Fu-

_**(Play Sleigh Bells)**_

Roshi gulped nervously, holding Weiss's hand as he, Weiss, Han, and Fu walked down the ship through a path with Schnee guards on either side eyeing him as if he was going to pull something. A dozen yards away stood three people and four guards.

The first person was a woman that stood at 5'7" and had long curly white hair that stopped midway down her back, pale skin, and charcoal black eyes. She wore a white female business suit with the Schnee logo on the back. The woman was seemingly grinning as the four approached.

The person next to her was an intimidating man, standing at 6'0" with curly pale blond hair and ice cold blue eyes. He wore a black business suit with the Schnee logo on the right shoulder, and if one looked closely they would find the smallest hint of tattoos on the man's arms, stopping shortly before his wrists.

And lastly, the third person was a short girl with pale blond hair that was done in a braid. She stood at 4'6" and had pale skin, not as pale as the two others but still pale, and bright blue eyes.

"Weiss!" the little girl exclaimed, running up to Weiss and hugging the Huntress-in-training.

"Elsa! It's nice to see you again! You've grown so much!" Weiss said before turning to Roshi, Han, and Fu. "Oh yes, Roshi, Han, Fu, this is my little sister, Elsa Schnee, the woman is my older sister, Winter Schnee, and the man next to her is my father, Travis Schnee. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Roshi-" Queue the guards aiming their rifles at Roshi. "-And his teammates, Han and Fu."

"Um, it's nice to meet you Trevor- Travis- Mr. Schnee!" Roshi stammered out, extending his hand to the senior Schnee, only to find familiar red dots primed on his forehead. Travis raised his hand up, causing the weapons aimed at Roshi to be lowered. The rather tall and intimidating man walked up to Roshi, who started feeling the intimidation and began sweating, and looked him over before turning his back and walking away, the four guards following shortly after.

"Well... That went better than expected!" Weiss exclaimed cheerfully.  
"It did?!" Roshi comically yelled.

"Little sis is right, most guys usually don't get past the first step off the ship, let alone to the introductions." Winter stated.

"I don't think any of the other suitors even made it this far!" Elsa exclaimed cheerfully, before her attention turned to Han. "Are you a centaur?" she asked innocently.

"No." Han said bluntly, though behind his mask he was grinning. "I'm a horse Faunus."

"Then you are a centaur!" Elsa said.

"No, a centaur has the bottom half of a horse and the top half of a human. A horse Faunus is like a human, only with a few horse-like qualities." Han explained.

"So do you sometimes eat hay?" Elsa asked.

"..." Han said nothing, only tilting his head and looking away with a huff of annoyance.

"He does occasionally, but he wants to keep it on the DL." Fu whispered to Elsa.

"And what about you? Be you human or Faunus?" Winter asked Fu.  
"I'm a beetle Faunus." Fu replied, sprouting her six insect wings and tail and hovering above ground.

"Wow!" Elsa exclaimed, sparkles in her eyes as she watched Fu fly around doing barrel rolls and other tricks.

"I'm a-" Roshi started.  
"I already know about you." Winter interrupted. "Dad has been keeping an eye on you ever since your little heist two or three years back."

"But how could he know where I was?" Roshi questioned.  
"Dad has his ways." Winter said vaguely.

"But now that you're here, daddy is going to put you through these test thingies!" Elsa exclaimed.  
"Trials?" Roshi said questionably, looking to Weiss for answers.

"Father made it up in his mind that any guy that wants to date me or Winter and eventually Elsa has to pass a series of trials that test your intelligence, strength, conviction, and willpower. " Weiss explained. "There are five trials in total, but no one save for Winter's boyfriend has completed the fifth trial." A beeping sound suddenly came from Roshi's Scroll. Shakily, the monkey Faunus pulled the device out and read the message out loud.

"The trials start... now. Enter the building, take the second set of stairs to your left, and enter the fifth room on the right..." Roshi read, followed by an audible gulp sound.

"It was nice knowing you, Roshi." Han said, patting said red haired Faunus on the back.

"Ditto." Fu said, doing the same as Han.

"Stay alive, monkey man!" Elsa exclaimed before skipping off.

"Don't die." Winter said before following after the others.

"Good luck, Roshi." Weiss said, giving him a peck on the cheek before going after the group.

"**Come on, you got this!**" Son Goku exclaimed.

'I can do this!' Roshi mentally said to himself, a look of determination coming over his face as he walked into the large mansion, following the instructions sent via Scroll.

-With Ren and Nora-

Nora rushed off the ship, Ren following at a slower pace. The sound of music filled the air, and in Ren's case, a certain sense of dread as well.

"Nora! Happy Hanukkah!" an older orange haired man exclaimed. "Oh! And you brought little Ren along as well!"

"Seasons greetings, Mr. Valkyrie." Ren said.

"Please, how many times have I told you to call me Nathan?" the man said, slinging an arm around Ren. "Come on! We've just begun celebrating!" Nathan exclaimed, dragging Ren off into the fray.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

The moment Jaune and Pyrrha stepped off the ship, the blond haired leader of Team JNPR had to duck to avoid a flying mace... that somehow let out a small explosion upon impact.

"Ah, home sweet home." Pyrrha said, a smile on her face as she spoke. "Heads up, grenade at six o'clock." she mumbled to Jaune, the latter pulling out Crocea Mors and swatting the explosive away.

"Komadori! How many times have I told you not to pull out the lethal explosive until after dinner!" a woman yelled. "Oh! Pyrrha-chan, it's good to see you! And you brought company as well!"

"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Jaune Arc. Jaune, this is my mom, Naomi Nikos." Pyrrha said.

"Um, nice to meet you, Ms. Nikos." Jaune said nervously.

"Naomi, who's that you're talking to?" a man called out.

"Just Pyrrha's flaky boyfriend!" Naomi shouted back.

"Flaky?" Jaune said questionably.

"Well, you are kinda flaky looking!" a new voice exclaimed. A red haired boy popped out from behind Jaune, causing him to jump slightly. "Ah! Good! You're alert! Your jump will deduct points, but you still have an eight out of ten!"

"Jaune, this is my younger brother, Komadori Nikos." Pyrrha stated.

"Nice to meet'cha Flaky!" Komadori exclaimed, pulling out a large hammer seemingly out of thin air, a devilish grin on his face. "Now start running!"

-With Roshi-

A tired and weary Roshi leaned against the wall of the hallway. Over the past few hours, the red haired monkey Faunus had gone through the first four trials, exhausting him both physically and mentally.

"**Here, this should probably help.**" Son Goku said, sending a small surge of Chakra through his container which acted like coffee.

'Thanks Son!' Roshi mentally exclaimed. Suddenly, a familiar beeping sound caught his attention.

"Head down the hallway, the final trial will be waiting for you. Don't worry, you'll know which room it's in." Roshi read aloud. With a sigh, he pushed himself off the wall and walked down the hallway. The message was clear, seeing as the last room in the hallway was guarded by two soldiers.

"Roshi Yamazarurokku?" One of the guards called out.  
"Yes?" Roshi said.  
"Mr. Schnee is waiting for you inside." the guard stated. "Good luck."

And with that, Roshi walked past the guards and into the room, only to find it was bigger than most of the other rooms he was sent into. This room resembled more of a gym with a boxing arena. Travis Schnee stood in the center of the arena.

_**(Play The Nutcracker (Christmas Dubstep Remix) by Arion)**_

"Congratulations on making it this far, only five other people have made it this far, and only one has passed this final trial." Travis said.

"What is this final trial exactly?" Roshi asked. In response, Travis took off his shoes, suit jacket, and unbuttoned his shirt, tearing both off to reveal the various tattoos and scars riddled on his body.

"You have to beat me in a fight." Travis said, getting into a fighting stance. "No weapons, no Aura, no Semblance, no Chakra. The only thing we can use is our fists and feet."

"Is that it?" Roshi questioned.  
"Before I took control of the Schnee Dust Company, I was the three-time kick-boxing champion of Vytal." Travis stated. "And I haven't gotten out of shape at all. So haul your ass up in the ring and prepare for a beat down."  
"Finally! Something I excel in!" Roshi exclaimed, pulling his shirt and shoes off before jumping up into the ring. "Bring it on, old man!" he said with a grin, to which Travis matched with his own.  
"I'm gonna make you eat those words alongside your own teeth!" Travis said before rushing at Roshi, to which the monkey Faunus dodged. Roshi then delivered a fury of punches into Travis, but the latter barely reacted. Seconds later, Travis retaliated, punching Roshi square in the gut and sending him flying.

Roshi slammed on the ground before rolling up and jumping back at Travis, sending a kick to the elder Schnee's face. Travis brought his fists up to block, only to receive a second kick in the chest, causing the pale blond haired man to cough up spit and a bit of blood. The kick allowed Roshi to go on the offense, delivering punch after punch and kick after kick to the father of his girlfriend. As Roshi began to let up, Travis used the opportunity to slam his fist into Roshi's face, sending him back to the ground.

"Give up already, if you surrender now then I won't beat you to a bloody pulp." Travis said. Roshi got up shakily, glaring directly into Travis's eyes with a fiery determination in his eyes.

"No! I'm not going to give up!" Roshi exclaimed, rushing Travis with a battle cry and punching him in the gut. As Travis was winded, Roshi delivered an uppercut, followed by a left and then a right hook, and then lastly a final roundhouse kick that sent Travis out of the circle and slamming into the metal pole in the corner of the arena.

"Heh... Good job, Roshi..." Travis huffed out.  
"Thanks... Mr. Schnee..." Roshi said in between pants.  
"Please, call me... Travis..." Travis said as he got back up, wincing a little as he did so. "Damn, you have a mean roundhouse kick."

"That's nothing compared to your punches. I swear, if I had eaten any lunch today, I would've probably vomited it up." Roshi said with a grin. "Does this mean that I have your blessing to date your daughter?"

"Sure does, kid." Travis stated before flopping back down on the ground.

"Yes!" Roshi exclaimed before exhaustion hit him as well, flopping to the ground like Travis.

-With Naruto-

Naruto walked into the empty clearing. The snow blanketed fields sent snow flying with the wind as it blew by. A dozen yards away was a cliffside, and on the cliffside was a familiar tombstone with a rose-like symbol engraved into the stone.

"This sure is a strange place for the Shinigami to pick." Naruto mumbled to himself.

"You're telling me." a familiar buxom shinigami said, shivering slightly from the cold. "But then again, you are the first person in years that's been allowed into the realm of the dead."

"But he's the capital S Shinigami, Rangiku, the least he could've done is chosen someplace, I don't know, warmer?" Naruto complained.

"True... well, we're here!" Rangiku exclaimed, a strange blue portal appearing out of thin air.

"Woah! Where the hell did this come from?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"No time for explanations, let's go!" Rangiku yelled, pushing Naruto through the portal.

-With Ruby, Yang, Zwei, and Taiyang-

Ruby happily munched on a cookie as Zwei ran around in a circle and Yang and Taiyang talked about the events that happened over the first half of the school year.

"EH?!" Taiyang exclaimed, a feeling of dread filling Ruby as she knew what her father was all worked up about. "Ruby! You have a boyfriend?!"

"Umm, yeah! Kinda, sorta... yes." Ruby said.

"My baby girl is growing up!" Taiyang exclaimed, wrapping Ruby up in a comical bear hug before his attitude pulled a 180o. "My baby girl is too young to be dating!" he said, his eyes turning red as he spoke. Suddenly, he grabbed his leather jacket and rushed out the door.

"Dad, wait! Where are you going?!" Yang called out.

"I'm going to have a _talk_ with Ruby's boyfriend!" Taiyang exclaimed, rushing out of sight.

"You don't even know who her boyfriend is or where he is." Yang deadpanned to herself. Taiyang suddenly rushed back to Yang.  
"Ehehe, do you know where Ruby's boyfriend is?" Taiyang asked.

"I think he said he was going to the northern part of the island?" Yang said hesitantly. Seconds later, Taiyang was off to hunt down Ruby's boyfriend.

-With Jaune and Pyrrha-

A sigh escaped Jaune's lips as he dragged the unconscious Komadori on his shoulder.

"He ran out of energy about five minutes ago." Jaune stated as he handed the energetic boy over to Naomi.

"Ha! Well I'll be darned! It usually takes about half an hour more 'til he runs out of energy. You're alright, kid!" Pyrrha's father, Apollo, stated, patting Jaune on the back before following his wife to put Komadori in his bed.

"You were really good, Jaune." Pyrrha stated as she leaned on the doorway, a smile on her face as she stared at Jaune.

"Eh? You really think so?" Jaune asked.  
"Definitely." Pyrrha said, walking up and giving Jaune a kiss on the lips, to which the blond haired boy returned. After half a minute, the kiss broke and the duo stayed in their embrace.

-With Naruto-

After the blinding light died down, Naruto found himself eating dirt in an unfamiliar place. After spitting the dirt out, Naruto saw a familiar red haired woman standing in front of him. He quickly found himself enveloped in a hug.

"Sochi!" the woman said.

"Mom?" Naruto asked.

"**Hmm, yep. This woman is Kushina Uzumaki. I recognize the residue Chakra left in her from her time as my Jinch****ūrik****i.**" Kurama said from inside the seal.

"Merry Christmas, sochi." Kushina said, tear of joy flowing from her eyes. Naruto tightened the embrace, tears of his own falling down from his eyes. "Come on, let's go meet the rest of your family!"

-With Ren and Nora-

"-So there's something I've been meaning to tell you, Mr. Valkyr-" Ren started.

"Nathan!" Nathan corrected.

"-Nathan, _I'm sorta kinda dating your daughter_!" Ren said quickly.

"Eh? You're dating my daughter? Good for you, Ren!" Nathan yelled.

"Wait, what?!" Ren exclaimed.  
"I've been waiting for you or Nora to say that for a while, just don't give me grandbabies _too_ soon!" Nathan said, causing Ren to blush. "Now come on, we still have a celebration going on!"

-With Taiyang-

The widowed father of two girls bounded off through the dead forest, eventually ending up in a familiar clearing with a cliffside altar.

"My father senses are telling me this is the spot where I'll find the evil Ruby's boyfriend!" Taiyang exclaimed, plopping down into the snow in expectancy.

-With Naruto-

As Kushina guided Naruto through Soul Society, said blond haired fox Faunus suddenly froze up.

"What's the matter sochi?" Kushina asked.

"I have the strangest feeling that once I exit Soul Society, I'm going to get an incredible headache." Naruto said mechanically before shaking his head. "So what do you guys do here in Soul Society or whatever it's called?"

"We usually just guide souls to this place if they aren't able to reach it on their own." Kushina replied. "There are some that become corrupted and change into these creatures called Hollows, but we usually take care of them if they become a problem. Enough about me, how about you, sochi. Got a girlfriend yet?"  
"As a matter of fact, yes." Naruto stated.

"Wow! Who's the lucky lady?" Kushina asked.

"Her name's Ruby Rose. She's kind, and cute, and she has black and red hair!" Naruto exclaimed.  
"Red hair?" Kushina questioned, ignoring everything else her son said. "I approve!"

-With Ruby and Yang-

Ruby sat on her knees on a chair, her head comically peaking over said chair over to the fireplace.  
"Are you seriously doing this, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"I'm going to see Santa once in my life! You got my back right, Zwei?" Ruby asked the little corgi beside her, to which Zwei barked in agreement.

"Alright then, don't stay up too late. I'm going to hit the hay early tonight." Yang said. "Good night, Ruby." she said before walking away.

"Good night, Yang." Ruby said, not taking her eyes off the fireplace the entire time.

-With Naruto-

The rest of the day, Naruto spent with his family. Minato had yet to appear, though that was explained by Kushina.

"When Minato-kun summoned the Shinigami, he unwillingly signed himself up to be its secretary." Kushina said.

"What's so bad about being the Shinigami's secretary?" Naruto asked.

"The paperwork." Kushina stated.

"So? Could he just use Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones) to do it for him?" Naruto questioned.  
"Well... Because... Umm..." Kushina said, unable to come up with an answer. "Huh, you know what, I actually never thought of that Dattebane!"

"Dattebane?" Naruto questioned.

"I have a verbal tick." Kushina said, blushing in embarrassment.

"So what? Verbal ticks are awesome Dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

"**Your time in the realm of the dead is up, Child of Prophecy.**" the Shinigami said from inside Naruto's mind.

"**When did you get in here?!**" Kurama comically exclaimed.

"The Shinigami says that my time here is up, mom." Naruto stated.

"It was nice seeing you, sochi. Merry Christmas!" Kushina exclaimed, giving her son one last hug and slipping a scroll into his pocket.

"Hold on!" a new voice called out. A familiar tri-pronged kunai soon found itself embedded in the ground beside the mother-son duo, and in a flash of light, Minato Namikaze appeared.

"Dad?" Naruto called out.

"Sorry I'm late, the paperwork of the Shinigami is terrible!" Minato said in between breaths before pulling out a scroll. "I have a gift for you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"There's about a hundred Hirashin (Flying Thunder God) kunais and the instructions on how to use them." Minato said. "I heard that you managed to pull off a Hirashin - Ni no Dan (Flying Thunder God - Level Two), so here's the instructions on how to properly use it."

"Really? Thanks, dad!" Naruto exclaimed. "I've got something for you as well!"

"Really? What is it?" Minato asked.  
"The secret to paperwork!" Naruto stated, causing Minato to go wide eyed.

"You know the secret to defeating that abomination?!" Minato questioned, comically shaking Naruto. "Tell me!"

"Kage Bunshins!" Naruto said cheerfully. At this, Minato froze, certain gears in his head grinding into place. As if magic, Minato curled into a ball on the ground, a dark rainy cloud with miniature lightning appearing over his head as he muttered phrases like: "Baka." or "Why didn't I think of that?".

"It's time to go little Naru-chan!" Rangiku exclaimed, appearing seemingly out of nowhere.

"Ran-chan? You're my son's guide through the portal?" Kushina questioned.  
"Yep! Now let's go!" Rangiku said, kicking Naruto through the portal.

-With Taiyang-

The father of Ruby and Yang had not budged at all, even after being covered in a blanket of snow. His patients was rewarded when Naruto appeared out of nowhere crashing into the snow.

"Geez, why do they have to kick me through the portal?" Naruto asked to no one in particular.

"Aha!" Taiyang exclaimed, jumping out of the snow and pointing accusingly at Naruto. "You're the boy who's dating my daughter!"  
"Umm, who are you?" Naruto asked.  
"Oh, right! I'm Taiyang Xiao Long, Yang and Ruby's father." Taiyang said, extending his hand to Naruto.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Long." Naruto said, shaking Taiyang's hand.

"Please, call me Tai." Taiyang stated. "Now, where was I?"  
"You were in the middle of accusing me of dating Ruby." Naruto stated.

"Right, thanks." Taiyang said before resuming his accusing stance. "Now, are you or are you not dating my daughter?!"  
"I'm dating Ruby. I really like her, and I'm pretty sure she likes me too." Naruto said, a small blush on his face.  
"You better treat my daughter good. If I find out you've hurt my daughter in any way, I'll gut you with a rusty spoon. Understand?" Taiyang asked.  
"Crystal clear." Naruto said.  
"Good! Now, come on, you can join my family for Christmas!" Taiyang exclaimed, grabbing Naruto and comically running back home with Naruto flapping around like a flag in the wind.

-With Ruby and Zwei-

The sun had set and nightfall had spread across the land. The fire was still roaring the fireplace, but Ruby was starting to get tired. Zwei's barking suddenly caught her attention as the corgi stared at the fireplace.  
"What is it, Zwei?" Ruby asked. Suddenly, the sound of rustling and the sight of soot and ash falling down the fireplace got Ruby wide eyed with sparkles. "Santa?!"

"Gah! My ass is on fire!" Taiyang exclaimed, falling through the fireplace with a thud. A comical look of shock came across Ruby's face, here eyes widened to comical proportions. A second thud brought Naruto through the fireplace.

"Remind me again why we had to take the fireplace to get in?" Naruto questioned.

"Because I'm ninety percent sure that I locked myself out of the house." Taiyang explained. "You'd be surprised how many times that's happened to me."  
"Dad? Naruto?" Ruby questioned.

"Oh hi, Ruby! Merry Chirstmas!" Naruto exclaimed.  
"I thought you were spending Christmas with ghosts or something?" Ruby said.  
"I was. The Shinigami kicked me out early and Tai here found me." Naruto explained. Suddenly, the chair Ruby was sitting on was tipped over, causing the girl to go flying and land on top of Naruto. A mistletoe attached to a string attached to a stick appeared above the duo, held by Taiyang, who was seemingly grinning as he did so.  
"Mistletoe." Naruto stated.

"Yeah." Ruby said. Cerulean blue eyes met celestial silver ones. "Merry Christmas, Naru."

"Merry Christmas, Ruby." Naruto said, the two sharing a Christmas kiss.

The rest of the holiday break seemed tame compared to the first few days, and everything was merry and cheerful.

So happy holidays to all!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!

Chapter End

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**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAANNNNNDDDD DONE! I hope you guys enjoy this! Happy Holidays! Peace out! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	29. Chapter 28- Eyes That See In The Dark

**Author's Notes**

**It feels like forever since I first created this story, like a lifetime ago... But, it feels good to get back to your roots, ne? The long Hiatus is over! Time to get this show on the road after the pit stop!**

**Heeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooo People! CrimsonKyuubiSage here! It's been so long since I last updated this story, and a lot has happened in that time (R.I.P. Monty, you were, and still are, an inspiration to us all). But I'm back!**

* * *

**And Now, Onto Reviewing Your Reviews:**

**Guest #2 (December 13, 2014)- Wrong! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu is not limited to just Konoha? The proof? Omoi , Deidara, Mahiru, Darui, Hoki, and Nagato. All these are examples of people who used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu according to the Naruto wiki page on Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. So suck it :P**

**a guy- Why don't you try writing a story, scratch that, try writing a **_**good**_** story, it's harder than you'd think. I admit, the RWBY transcripts did make it easier to write out the chapters, but the true reason I put the story on hiatus was due to my focuses being diverted to other stories, school, my social life, etcetera etcetera. And I do have everything planned out, there's no doubt about that. Neither you, nor anyone else will have a clue at what's to come.**

**OBSERVER01- Isn't it obvious? Both Minato and Hiruzen are the Shinigami's secretaries (Dictated on paper but are actually its bitches ^.^)**

**pedrofaria339- [Insert Sarcasm Here] Geez, was makes you think that? The fact that both Pyrrha and Naruto are Uzumakis? Or the fact that I purposely made Pyrrha's mother Kushina's older sister [End Sarcasm Here]. Yes, Naruto and Pyrrha are blood-related cousins.**

* * *

**And Now, Without Further Delay, I Bring You Chapter Twenty-Eight Of TMH! Read And Review!**

**Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto or RWBY.**

"Hey" - Regular Speech

'_Something_' - Regular Thoughts/ Sarcastic Remarks

-Somewhere, 10:00 A.M.- -Statement of A Time/Place/Change of P.O.V.

"**Hello**" - Demon/ Grimm Speech

'**I'm going to eat you**' -Demon/ Grimm Thought

_"Hello"_ \- Flashbacks/Dream Text

_**(Encore by Jay Z)**_ -Song Insert

Chapter \- Chapter Start/ Chapter End

* * *

Chapter Start

* * *

_Previously..._

_"To Team RWBY/RHFN. Your team has been selected to participate in the upcoming Vytal Festival tournament. To prepare you for such event, you and your team have been assigned a seasoned senior Huntsmen to train you in the coming month's time. Good luck."_

_"You've left us no choice. The Vytal Festival tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens. Ahem... Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council and together have decided that the best action is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event."_

_"I'm going to give you one chance. Who's really behind all this?"_

_"He's like no one you've ever seen before. Where he's from - if they knew of his presence - they would call him a ghost. And I can fully agree with that."_

_"Konohagakure! He's a legend from Konohagakure! His name, infamous even today! Oh Dust, he's going to kill me either way!"_

_"I'm a dead man either way! I try to tell you who he is, and I'm dead in an instant! I stay silent and tell you nothing, he'll kill me himself! He doesn't accept failure from his lackeys!"_

_"Roman Torchick is dead, killed by some kind of restriction seal. Need to meet and discuss what was discovered."_

_"The representatives from Kumogakure are here."_

_"Welcome to Beacon Academy, you must be Kumogakure's representatives." _

_"Yo, back a few hours ago when me and my bro came here, there was an attack that was real near. Me and Eight-O saw and felt the presence of Four, Five, Seven, and Nine-O! And don't ya know, the best one to train those fou' to be great Jinch__ūrik__i be me! The rappin' and rhymin' Kirabi! Wheeeeee!"_

_"Those stupid kids really made a mess of things. A lot of Faunus didn't make it out of the tunnels. You still think the White Fang's gonna listen to you?"_

_"No, but they'll listen to me."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"Yang, we have a lot to talk about."_

* * *

-Emerald Forest-

The clouds rolled across the dark night skies, shrouding the fragmented moon from the world. A rustling sound came from the bushes, and Sasuke emerged from the thick brush of vegetation.  
"Sakura? Sakura, where are you?" Sasuke called out, glancing down at the pillar of light coming from his Scroll.

"Sasuke-kun, come out to the Emerald Forest. We need to talk." was what the message said. Of course, Sasuke was suspicious about the message being so vague. For all he knew, it could be a trap of some kind. Which is why Sasuke had decided to bring along his weapon, a chokutou by the name of Kusanagi no Tsurugi.

Sasuke immediately froze up, feeling another presence nearby. The last loyal Uchiha slowly drew his blade, getting into a fighting stance and activating his Sharingan.

"That Sharingan... How much can you actually see?" Itachi's voice echoed as he walked into the clearing.

"Itachi..." Sasuke muttered, his eyes narrowing as his grip on Kusanagi no Tsurugi tightened. He was about to charge forward at Itachi, but abruptly stopped when the older Uchiha began violently coughing, his hands covering his mouth as a combination of blood and saliva spat out of his mouth.

"It's been a while, otouto..." Itachi weakly stated, panting as he recovered from his coughing fit.

"What... Itachi... what happened to you?" Sasuke asked.  
"..." Itachi said nothing, quickly rushing towards his younger brother and activating his Sharingan midway. He pulled out a tanto and slashed at Sasuke.

"Fine! If that's how it's going to be!" Sasuke exclaimed, blocking the strike from Itachi's tanto. "Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Chidorigatana (Grass-Mowing Sword: One Thousand Birds Katana)!" he yelled, channeling a Chidori through his chokutou. Itachi jumped back to avoid the electrifying attack.

"Katon: Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)!" Itachi yelled, creating a volley of small firebals that were sent flying in an unpredictable manner towards Sasuke, who used a Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) to evade the incoming fireballs.

"Chidori Senbon (One Thousand Birds Senbon)!" Sasuke exclaimed, reappearing a few yards behind Itachi and firing off senbon needles made of lightning chakra at the older Uchiha.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" Itachi exclaimed, going through various handseals before firing off a large fireball at Sasuke.

"Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpel)!" Sakura exclaimed, jumping out at a surprised Itachi, though his face conveyed no such emotions. The elder Uchiha strafed to the left to dodge the incoming attack, but was not able to move fast enough, his right shoulder being struck by the chakra blades.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan (Illusion Technique: Copy Wheel Eye)!" Itachi yelled, looking Sakura in the eyes and catching her in an illusion.

"Chidori Nagashi (One Thousand Birds Current)!" Sasuke yelled, striking Itachi in the back.  
"Ngh!" Itachi grunted in pain, using the Shunshin no Jutsu to escape.

"Genjutsu: Kai (Illusion Technique: Release)!" Sasuke said, placing his hand on Sakura and releasing the illusion she was under.  
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?!" Sasuke yelled.

'I sort of was stalking you...' Sakura mentally said. "I saw you going into the forest and got curious. And now I'm going to help you!"  
"I don't want your help! This is my fight!" Sasuke exclaimed, only to be grabbed by the scruff of his shirt by Sakura and given a glare that, up to now, had only been reserved for the days of the original Team 7 whenever Naruto did something stupid.  
"You're going to accept my help, kami dammit! Whether you like it or not!" Sakura yelled, releasing her grip on Sasuke, who now had a slight tinge of red on his face.

'Why... am I attracted to this?' Sasuke mentally questioned himself.

"Mangekyou Sharingan." Itachi said, reappearing in front of Sasuke, his Sharingan having morphed into its pinwheel pattern. Faster than Sasuke could react, Itachi kicked him in the gut and sent him flying back into the nearest tree, creating a crater upon impact.  
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled. Sasuke attempted to stand back up, forming a Chidori in one hand, but released the lightning jutsu when Itachi grabbed his wrist, stepped on his foot, and punched him in the gut.

"Forgive me, Sasuke... This... is my reality..." Itachi mumbled, placing his index and middle fingers at the top of Sasuke's left eye and his thumb just below Sasuke's eye. "Give me your light."  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sasuke cried out, grabbing his now empty eye socket, blood dripping down onto the grass.

"I told you. You do not possess the Mangekyou Sharingan. You can never win against my eyes." Itachi stated, Sasuke shakily looking down at his now blood-covered hand. "I'll take the other one too."  
"Oukashou (Cherry Blossom Impact)!" Sakura yelled, charging at Itachi, only to be intercepted by an Itachi clone.  
"Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone Great Explosion)." the clone said, the ensuing explosion engulfing both itself and Sakura.  
"Ahhh!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Sakura-chan!" Sasuke exclaimed, tears spilling down from his one good eye and blood tears from his other. It was then that Itachi began to notice Sasuke's eye change. His Sharingan pattern began to spread and converge along the edges of the irides, resulting in three intersecting ellipses that resembled an atom model.

"You... You've done it, otouto... You finally unlocked the Mangekyou Sharingan." Itachi stated, looking down at the eye in his hand, only to find the same pattern as Sasuke's eye.

"You bastard! You killed her!" Sasuke yelled, tackling Itachi down to the ground. "Grrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" he exclaimed, releasing his pent-up rage onto Itachi as his fists burrowed their way into the latter. Sasuke kept pounding his fists into Itachi for a minute, before his beatings began to slow down. They continued to slow down as Sasuke began to cry, mourning for Sakura.

"O... Otouto..." Itachi called out, shakily raising his hand up to his younger brother's head. With one swift movement, just as fast as he had pulled it out, Itachi had reimplanted Sasuke's Sharingan eye.

"W-Why?! Why nii-san?! WHY?!" Sasuke yelled.  
"It... had to be d-done..." Itachi replied. "F-For the s... sake of the cl... an..."

"Is this what had to be paid for the ultimate power?!" Sasuke exclaimed. "I don't want it! Take these cursed eyes away! Give me back Sakura-chan!"

"T-That... is... the... price..." Itachi said.  
"Is this what you wanted for me, nii-san? IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?!" Sasuke yelled.  
"Yes..." Itachi replied, causing Sasuke's eyes to widen by a fraction. "For you to avenge... the clan... by... killing me."  
"W-What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"S... She's still a... live..." Itachi stated, his voice becoming softer as he spoke, causing Sasuke's eyes to widen.  
"Sakura-chan!" Sasuke called out, looking around for the pinkette and all but forgetting his previous question.

"S-Sasuke-kun..." Sakura weakly replied, her body leaned against a nearby tree.

"S-Sakura-chan!" Sasuke exclaimed, running towards his teammate and cradling her in his arms.

"Sasuke-kun, I-" Sakura started.  
"It's okay." Sasuke said, shifting Sakura around so that he was hugging her. "I-I thought I lost you..."  
"I'm not going anywhere, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, a blush present on both teens' faces.

"Hn... In some way, I envy you, otouto... To have... someone who truly cares for... you..." Itachi said, breaking into another fit of violent coughs.

"How touching. Unfortunately, **we'll have to interrupt this moment.**"a new voice called out.  
"Z-Zetsu!" Itachi exclaimed, attempting to push himself up off the ground.

"Who's out there?! Show yourself!" Sasuke called out, fully prepared to defend Sakura.

"It's Z...etsu! The Akatsuki's top spy!" Itachi said.  
"**If you want me to show myself** all you have to do is ask." Zetsu said, appearing out of the ground. Zetsu was a strange humanoid creature, split half black and half white wearing the Akatsuki cloak over a Venus Fly Trap-like extension.

"What do you want?" Sasuke questioned.  
"Oh well, nothing much. **Just his eyes...**" Zetsu replied.  
"O-Otouto! You can't... let him... take my eyes!" Itachi exclaimed.  
" Don't worry, Itachi-kun, **you won't be needing these eyes once you're dead.**" Zetsu said.  
"Chidori Eisou (One Thousand Birds Sharp Spear)!" Sasuke yelled, firing off a thin spear of lightning at Zetsu.

"Mokuton: Chikarutsu no Jutsu (Wood Release: Underground Roots Technique)!" Zetsu exclaimed, causing large roots to shoot out at the duo.  
"Sakura-chan, grab Itachi-niisan!" Sasuke exclaimed, the pinkette doing as told, quickly grabbing Itachi and evading the incoming roots. "Katon: Karyuudan (Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet)!" he said, exhaling a stream of flames from his mouth and burning the majority of the roots, only for the charred roots to be replaced by even more roots.

"The roots are growing back!" Sakura exclaimed. Sasuke's left eye began to bleed, widening and further accentuating the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination)!" Sasuke yelled, black flames sprouting out of his left eye and burning the roots faster and more efficiently than any other fire jutsu could.

"Amaterasu... One of the ocular jutsus of the Sharingan..." Itachi muttered. "Sakura Haruno, was it?"

"Yeah?" Sakura said questionably.

"I... have a favor I need to... ask... of... you..." Itachi said.

"Ohohohoho! **Sasuke-kun appears to have unlocked one of the Mangekyou's abilities!**" Zetsu stated cheerfully as he evaded the unquenchable flames.

"Burn!" Sasuke exclaimed, more jets of black flames sprouting from his eye.

"Fufufufufufufufufufufu! I'd love to stay and play some more, **but I have a tight schedule to keep up with.**" Zetsu said, sinking into the ground with a sinister laugh. "I'll also be taking this **with me.**" he finished, popping out of the ground beside Sakura and Itachi, quickly grabbing the latter and pulling him under with him.  
"No!" Sasuke yelled, running towards Sakura, but was too late.

"Oooh! A party! Can I join in?!" a new voice called out. Sasuke and Sakura quickly turned to find a strange white creature with a spiral-like face.

"Ah, Guruguru, so nice of you to finally join us. **Despite the fact that you're three hours late. Don't tell me you were doing your 'research'.**" Zetsu stated, the black half gaining a tick mark.

"Ne, so mean Kuro-Zetsu! You know that my burning passion to discover the feeling of pooping outweighs your commands." the creature, now identified as Guruguru, stated.

"What should we do, Sakura-chan?" Sasuke whispered.

"I'll call for help." Sakura replied, pulling out her Scroll and sending a message for help out.  
"You two _do_ realize that we can hear you, right? Cause there's no need to whisper." Guruguru called out, causing the two Shinobi to freeze in place.

"**Deal with them.**" Zetsu said, sinking back into the ground with Itachi in tow.  
"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled.

"Hai, Kuro-Zetsu!" Guruguru exclaimed, giving a mock salute towards Zetsu before jumping down near Sakura and Sasuke. "Before you two die, would you mind telling me in vivid detail what the feeling of pooping is like?"

"How about no?" Sakura said, charging forward with a chakra enhanced punch at Guruguru, only to have the spiral-like creature catch her fist.  
"Oooh! You can do super enhanced punches too?! Not as great as telling me what excretion feels like, but - hey! You wanna see my super punch?" Guruguru said, punching Sakura in the gut and sending her crashing into a tree.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!" Sasuke exclaimed, expelling a massive orb of fire from his mouth at Guruguru.  
"Wow, that was a close one, don't ya think?" Guruguru questioned, patting down the flames on its right arm.  
"Chidori Senbon!" Sasuke yelled, firing off a volley of senbons formed from lightning chakra at the rather annoying creature. Guruguru just continued to dodge the incoming attacks, all the while mocking the young Uchiha.

"Yohoo - Missed me - Gonna have to try harder than that - Ooh, felt some oomph in that one!" Guruguru said. "Ara, ara - wait, that's someone else's catchphrase - you're going to have to try harder than that if you-" the spiral-like creature had to quickly jump out of the way as an explosion tore off the tree branch he was on.

"Oooh! Missed it by _that_ much!" Nora said, all four members of Team JNPR walking into the clearing.

"You rang for help?" Jaune questioned, drawing his sword and giving it a twirl.

"More people to play with! Yaaaaaayyy! Can any of you tell me-" Guruguru started, but froze up when his gaze fell upon Jaune's sword. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, a strange feeling overcoming the white spiral-like creature. "What... What is this... feeling..." it muttered. Seconds later, a splintering sound shook Guruguru out of its trance. It tried to jump up, but was too late, falling to the ground with an audible 'Thud!'.

"I got him!" Pyrrha exclaimed, smoke coming out from the barrel of her weapon.  
"Apprehend him!" Sasuke exclaimed, dashing towards Guruguru.

_"Please, darling! Leave! Make haste and flee before my will succumbs!"_  
_"I will not, my dear."_

_"Why! Why doth thou not flee whilst thou still hath the chance to?!"_

_"Because I love you, and I shalt not leaveth thine side until the very end."_

_"I can't... can't... __**GRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!**__"_

Various images and, what were presumably, memories, projected themselves onto the clearing in the eyes of Guruguru, then all of a sudden, they stopped, brought back to reality by the approaching forms of Sasuke and Team JNPR.

"That... sword... AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Guruguru exclaimed, gripping his head as a searing pain coursed through his skull. Roots began sprouting out of its back erratically and crushing, slamming, and impaling everything around it. "Don't go! My dear! Don't go!" it yelled, thrashing around as it did so.

"Somebody knock it out!" Pyrrha yelled.

"On it!" Jaune exclaimed dashing forward.  
"No, wait!" Pyrrha exclaimed, but was too late. The roots that had sprouted from Guruguru's body had coiled around the clearing, and one of the roots had shot out towards Jaune. The blond leader of Team JNPR turned to see the incoming root, his eyes widening as he tried to avoid his impending doom, but was unable to veer out of the path of the root, falling to the ground after tripping over another one of the roots. "Jaune!" Pyrrha yelled. Jaune closed his eyes, preparing himself for what would most likely be his death.

...

Only, it never came. Jaune quickly opened his eyes, only to find the root that had been rushing at him had stopped an inch before it could impale the blond.

"W-What?" Jaune questioned, standing back up, the root moving in sync with him. He hesitatingly raised up his sword hand to the root, only for the root to shrink back before it could come in contact with the weapon.

"What's going on?" Ren asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind at the moment.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, my dear! Forgive me!" Guruguru yelled. Jaune quickly took advantage of this new opportunity, dashing towards Guruguru and slamming the butt of his sword on the side of Guruguru's neck, instantly knocking the creature out. The moment Guruguru became unconscious, the roots began to recede back into its body.

"He's K.O.'ed now." Jaune said, Pyrrha quickly coming up and hugging him.  
"Why did you do that? You could have died!" Pyrrha exclaimed, crying into Jaune's shoulder.  
"I'm sorry, I don't know why I did..." Jaune apologized, fully embracing the red haired girl.

"What _did_ happen anyways? The roots looked like they..." Ren started.  
"Like they were avoiding him." Sasuke finished, walking into the clearing holding Sakura bridal style. "Look, we can interrogate him later. Right now, Sakura-chan needs medical attention."  
"Right." Jaune replied, pulling Guruguru up with the help of Pyrrha.

-Team RHFN Dormroom-

"I'm serious, aren't any of you guys curious about what those explosions were?" Fu asked, having changed into her nightwear.

"I'm sure it was nothing. And if it isn't, we'll just deal with it in the morning." Roshi replied, flopping onto his bed in exhaustion.

"But-" Fu started.  
"I'm tired, you're tired, Han's tired, Naruto's exhausted. We'll. Deal. With. It. In. The. Morning." Roshi stated.  
"Speaking of which, where _is_ Naruto?" Han asked.

-Beacon Academy Dormroom Rooftop-

Meanwhile, on top of the dorm's roof, Naruto and Ruby were sleeping together, the former having been awoken by the sounds of explosions, and the latter still asleep, her face buried into her boyfriend's neck as she held on to him in her sleep.

"Ruby." Naruto said.  
"Mmhhhhhh..." Ruby mumbled, burying her head deeper into Naruto's neck.  
"Ruby." Naruto repeated.  
"Mmmmmmmmm..." Ruby mumbled a little louder.  
"Ruby!" Naruto exclaimed, finally waking the girl up.  
"I'm up!" Ruby exclaimed, shooting up and looking around frantically. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's coming!" Naruto said, his eyes narrowing when he saw who it was. "Who are you?"

Chapter End

* * *

**Post Notes**

**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DONE! Guess who's back, back again? Shady's - errr, I mean CKS's back! And then the rest of the lyrics!**

**Cliffhanger! The start of a new arc and new mysteries. Who is it on the roof with Naruto and Ruby? What's happened to Itachi? What's wrong with Guruguru? Why am I asking **_**you**_** these questions? All will be revealed next time on TMH!**

**As for the new story I promised, don't worry, it's in the making as we speak. I just got back from a weekend in Philadelphia (Philllllllllaaaaaaaaayyy!) so I haven't had that much time to progress with the story. But in a few days time, you'll be able to read the new story!**

**Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! Read and Review!**

**-CrimsonKyuubiSage out!**


	30. PREVIEW! COMING SOON

**AN: I think it's been nearly a year since I last updated this story. So I'll start by apologizing for the delay. One thing led to another, and I've been busy with life and other stories. Senior year of high school has been hectic, yet I've had time to continue writing...**

**In light of a few things, the last chapter will mark the end of this story. But do not worry, for soon there will be a sequel to The Maelstrom Hunter!**

**While I begin work on that, let me give you a small little preview into what is to come in The Maelstrom Hunter: Shippuden!**

* * *

The Maelstrom Hunter: Shippuden Preview

"*GASP*!" the light blond haired woman abruptly sat up in her bed, gasping desperately for air as if she had nearly drowned. She had broken out into a cold sweat, her skin paler than usual and her pupils dilated.

"What's wrong...?" It didn't take long for one of the guards posted outside her room to break in, alert and prepared for any sort of threats.

"I saw... the end of the world. I could... _feel_... all this **death**."

"Shion... it was just a dream."

...

"Taiyang." Winter began, Qrow on her left and Oobleck and Peter Port on her right.

"We found something out there..." Qrow stated, his hand in his flask as almost a comforting measure. "Something that only you might understand."

"How ancient are we talking?" Taiyang questioned.

"We have no records of this civilization. It predates anything we've ever seen, yet..." Qrow trailed off.

"Yet...?"  
"Tai... I can't describe it. This is one of those things you need to see to believe."

"*Sigh* I'll get my archeological digging kit..." Taiyang mumbled.  
"That won't be necessary." Oobleck stated.  
"The site in question... it's untouched." Peter said. "Even by nature itself..."

...

"Vale." Ironwood started, pressing a button on his remote and showing the rough footage that was recovered from various security cameras...

Atlas machinery turning on people, Grimm of all kinds running through and tearing apart Huntsmen and civilians and Shinobi alike...

The White Fang.

Naruto and the rest of Team RHFN flinched when they saw the video of an Atlesian Paladin-290 bring its foot up before proceeding to curb-stomp a woman.

...

"Konohagakure." he continued, pressing the button again and showing the videos that was recovered from the wreckage that was from nearly four months ago...

The screen flickered in-and-out of static, but what could be seen was an Atlesian Airship falling from the sky and into the commercial district of Konoha.

...

"Amity Colosseum." he added, showing the footage of the massive hovering arena... _plummeting_ towards the earth, potential Hunters and Huntresses falling off before they could react or being victim of the impact when it clashed with the ground.

"Oh gods..." Fu gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. Even their most stoic member Han had begun to look down at the ground, unable to watch anymore of the video.

"Okay. That's enough." Naruto said.

"Naruto, people are afraid." Ironwood said grimly.

...

"That's why we're here, right?" Ruby questioned, cocking Crescent Rose. "To defend the people from dark forces?"

"Whatever form that takes, I'm game." Yang said, cracking her knuckles and popping her neck.

...

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. If I see a situation pointed south... I can't ignore it." Naruto stated. "Sometimes I wish I could."

"Sometimes I want to punch you in your teeth, dobe." Sasuke retorted.

...

"Ozpin... They aren't ready, not for this." Tsunade stated.  
"I know we're not perfect. But the safest hands are still our own." Ozpin retorted.

...

"Doesn't it ever wake you up **in the middle of the night...?**

**The feeling that someday... **we'll come for you and your children?" Zetsu questioned, grinning a grin that seeped an aura of evilness.

"I feel a great swell of pity for the poor soul who comes to my school looking for trouble." Ozpin stated, raising his cane up in a defensive stance.

...

"Tell us... tell me what you know, Guruguru."

...

"Ever since the beginning of history, there has been... rumors, of secret societies that believe that these strange creatures, one of which is in our custody... are some kind of second coming or a sign from the gods."

"What does that mean?"

"Some believe that Chakra and Aura can be traced back to a single common ancestor."  
"The first Chakra and Aura user?"

"Like some sort of... primordial god or goddess... And that they are going to rise again."

...

"They mean to destroy this world..."

...

"You're going to join the Allied Shinobi Force, aren't you... Naruto."

"Ruby..."

...

"Well, Team RHFN! It's all of us... against a god."

"That's one way to put it, Roshi."

...

"Forget everything you know!" Glynda yelled. "You aren't students anymore...

You're guardians."

...

"Everything they've built..." 'Madara' began, his Sharingan flaring to life. "WILL FALL!"

The very earth rumbled and cracked underneath him, the empty husk of the Shinju rising up from the crater it made.

"And from the ashes of their world... we'll build a **better** one!"

* * *

**POST AN: This was my first ever story that I posted on . Nearly two years ago now... When I look back on my first chapter, and then the consecutive chapters, I see how I've progressed not only as a writer, but as a storyteller.**

**Thank you everyone that's been reading this story! I will try not to disappoint with the sequel!**

**So until _The Maelstrom Hunter: Shippuden_, I'll see you next time!**

**-CKS out!**


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